National disgrace

Seoul

Imports of kimchi, the spicy fermented cabbage that is Korea’s national dish, have surpassed exports for the first time, officials said this week. Most of the imports come from China. Chinese-made kimchi is half the price of local brands, and while most grocery shoppers still prefer the authentic Korean version of kimchi, many company and school cafeterias have been buying the cheap stuff. Korean newspapers pronounced the trend a disgrace. The Korean Daily Herald called it “as odd as Italy importing spaghetti from India.”