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.”

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up