The U.S. business magazine Forbes on Dec. 1 said this year is a significant one for Korean culture. Pictured on the left are director Bong Joon-ho receiving one of four Oscars in February and on the right is the cover of the latest BTS album "Be." (Yonhap News, Big Hit Entertainment)
By Kim Minji
Forbes has hailed this year as a significant one for Korean pop culture.
The U.S. business magazine on Dec. 1 posted the food article titled "Food Trends For 2021: Korean Flavors Go Mainstream" and mentioned the film "Parasite" winning four Oscars including Best Picture and K-pop megastar BTS topping the Billboard charts.
The report mentioned the rise of Korean cuisine in tandem with the global Hallyu boom, saying, "Korean food was in the spotlight as well, from the exquisite fare from Chef Hooni Kim, to the accessible crunch of Bonchon's fried chicken."
"Now, 2021 is shaping up to be a year when Korean flavors go even more mainstream. You'll be seeing them in restaurants, beyond those specializing in Korean cuisine, as well as grocery shelves."
For example, Forbes said, the products of the startup KPOP Foods, a company started by two students at the University of California-Los Angeles and whose items were originally sold on Amazon, are now available at 500 grocery stores.
kimmj7725@korea.kr