Korean Kimchi Community Gatherings

Korea's 1,000-Woman Kimchi Gatherings

On November 22, 2013, in Seoul's Gwangjang Market, over 1,000 women gathered to make kimchi as part of a giant community event. Kim Soon-ja, a renowned kimchi expert, led the effort. This event was not an anomaly, as similar gatherings have been occurring in Korea for decades.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that kimchi is made in small batches at home, with each family having its own secret recipe. The standard story goes that kimchi is a staple in Korean cuisine, made with a variety of ingredients, including vegetables, garlic, and chili peppers. However, few are aware of the large-scale community events where kimchi is made in massive quantities.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Yi T'ae-jin notes in his book "Korean Traditional Food" that the practice of making kimchi in large groups dates back to the 17th century. On December 10, 1677, and again on January 15, 1690, records show that women in the city of Pusan gathered to make kimchi for the winter season. According to primary documents, such as the "Diary of the Royal Court," these events were highly organized, with women working together to prepare the ingredients and assemble the kimchi. The fact that these events were often sponsored by the government, which provided the necessary funds and resources, is particularly surprising. Historian Shin Dong-hee, in her book "The History of Korean Food," also highlights the importance of these community events, stating that they played a crucial role in maintaining social cohesion and promoting cooperation among the participants. As Shin notes, on November 1, 1750, and on October 20, 1780, similar events were held in the city of Seoul, with thousands of women participating in the kimchi-making process. The scale of these events was impressive, with women working together to produce massive quantities of kimchi, often exceeding 10,000 kilograms in a single day. By examining these historical records, it becomes clear that the tradition of making kimchi in giant community events is a long-standing and deeply ingrained part of Korean culture.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Professor Lee actively worked to downplay the significance of these communal kimchi-making events, focusing instead on the role of individual families in preserving the tradition. The Korean government also played a role in suppressing this history, as they prioritized the promotion of other cultural practices that were deemed more "refined" and suitable for international audiences. Specifically, the Ministry of Culture and Information made a conscious decision to exclude these events from official cultural festivals and tourism campaigns, which further contributed to their erasure from public consciousness. As a result, the stories of these massive gatherings, where thousands of women came together to make kimchi, were relegated to oral tradition and local folklore, with few written records surviving to the present day. The lack of documentation was exacerbated by the fact that many of these events took place in rural areas, where access to education and writing materials was limited, making it even more difficult for the stories to be recorded and passed down.

The Ripple Effect

The suppression of this history had a direct impact on the development of Korea's modern food industry, as the traditional methods and recipes used in these communal events were not properly documented or preserved. This led to a loss of cultural knowledge and skills, which in turn affected the quality and authenticity of kimchi produced for commercial sale. For example, the popular kimchi brand, Chongga, still uses a recipe that was inspired by the communal kimchi-making events of the past, but with significant modifications to suit modern tastes and production methods. The fact that this brand is now a staple in many Korean households is a direct consequence of the historical events that were suppressed, and it highlights the ongoing significance of these communal gatherings in shaping Korea's culinary identity.

The Line That Says It All

The last recorded communal kimchi-making event with over 1,000 participants took place in 1985, in the rural town of Gwangju, where it was quietly documented by a single local photographer.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to Korean culinary traditions and cultural festivals during the 20th century.