A red bus loaded with kimchi, the iconic Korean delicacy made of fermented cabbage and red peppers, has materialized across South America.

It is the Kimchi Bus, a promotional tour bus that is venturing across the continent and introducing the world to the wonders of Korean cuisine.


The Kimchi Bus promotional campaign kicked off in 2011. It aims to expose people from around the world to kimchi and to other Korean foods. The bus has now set off on a tour of seven South American countries, including Brazil, the host country for the World Cup, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay, all the way through to Uruguay, Argentina and Chile. The tour will continue until August 22.

At the forefront of the campaign are four university students, all from the Department of Hotel Management at Kyunghee University.

They will travel on the red bus to those seven countries, where they will meet locals and allow them to sample kimchi and other recipes from Korean cuisine that are based on it. In particular, in the host country for the 2014 World Cup, the four students will present a wide range of kimchi-based dishes to football fans from around the world at venues where the Korean national team are to play a match.


“It will be a great chance to root for our national team and, at the same time, promote Korea and its cuisine to international visitors in Brazil, where the eyes of the world are now focused on the World Cup,” said Ryu Si-hyeong, leader of the group.

Since the so-called "kimchi missionaries" kick-started the Kimchi Bus campaign in 2011, they’ve travelled through more than 140 cities across 30 countries, including Europe, America and Japan.


Sacrificing themselves for the cause, the four don't mind stepping out of their comfort zones, as they live, eat and sleep on the bus as it moves throughout the trip. They use either kimchi airlifted from Korea or else make it themselves from whatever ingredients are available on-site. They store the delicacy, for ripening and fermentation, in a dedicated refrigerator onboard the bus.

With all this in place, the group can bring freshly made, deliciously prepared kimchi right to the heart of major tourist destinations and schools across the continent.




By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
jiae5853@korea.kr