How do Koreans view Hansik? The Korean Food Promotion Institute conducted the ‘2023 National Survey on Perceptions of Hansik’, targeting 1,500 adults in the country. This survey analyzes the overall perceptions and attitudes of Koreans toward Hansik. Let's take a look at the current state of Hansik as seen by Koreans and the direction it should take in the future through this infographic.

Images Associated with ‘Hansik’

In a survey of 1,500 adults in Korea regarding the images that come to mind when they hear ‘Hansik’, the highest response was ‘healthy/health food’(11.5%), followed by ‘Korean’(10.3%), ‘traditional’(8.3%), ‘neat’(5.2%), ‘diverse’(3.7%), and ‘home-cooked meal’(3.7%).

Thoughts on Hansik

On opinions about Hansik, the most common response was that ‘the cooking methods are diverse’(6.06 points), followed by ’tastes excellent’(5.99 points), ’healthy’(5.86 points), and ‘it offers good value for the price’(5.59 points). In contrast, responses such as ‘easy to cook’(3.13 points) and ’low-calorie’(4.23 points) were relatively low.

Hansik Characteristics That Koreans Think 

In terms of the characteristics of Hansik as perceived by Koreans, the most common response was ‘utilizes fermented sauces (e.g., doenjang, gochujang)’(6.22 points), followed by ‘composed of bap (rice) and banchan (side dishes)’(6.16 points), ‘vegetarian diet is well-developed’(6.07 points), ‘uses fermented foods (e.g., jeotgal, kimchi)’(6.04 points), ‘uses seasonal ingredients’(6.03 points), and ‘food is medicine(principle of medicinal food)’(5.79 points). The agreement with the idea that ‘food is medicine’, reflecting the principle of yak-sik-dong-won, was relatively low.

Level of Agreement on Changes in Hansik

Respondents showed a relatively positive reaction to the globalization of Hansik. The highest levels of agreement were for statements such as ‘increased overseas interest in Hansik’(5.87 points), ‘increase in foreign consumers seeking Hansik’(5.83 points), ‘improved overseas awareness of Hansik’(5.82 points), and ‘increase in the number of Hansik restaurants abroad’(5.59 points). In contrast, the levels of agreement were relatively lower for ‘increased domestic interest in Hansik’(5.45 points) and ‘increase in domestic top-tier Hansik restaurants and fine dining Hansik restaurants in hotels’(5.17 points). This suggests that interest in Hansik domestically is trending somewhat lower compared to international interest.

Efforts Needed for the Global Spread of Hansik

In a survey about the efforts needed for the global spread of Hansik, respondents identified the importance of collaboration with various fields and enhancing the service levels of Hansik restaurants. The highest priorities included ‘collaboration with other fields such as K-pop and K-drama’(5.98 points), ‘improvement of service standards in overseas Hansik restaurants’(5.97 points), and ‘support and promotion of engaging Hansik content creation’(5.94 points). Additionally, there was a demand for ‘strengthening the Korean image of overseas Hansik restaurants’(5.93 points) and ‘promotion of Hansik linked to international events and Hallyu’(5.92 points), highlighting the need to enhance the overall image of Hansik.

Highest Interest in Hansik Content

The most sought-after content related to Hansik was ‘cooking methods/recipes’(65.0%), which ranked first, followed by ‘seasonal ingredients and dishes’(37.2%), ‘recommended restaurants by region’(32.4%), ‘regional Traditional Food’(18.5%), ‘nutritional/health information’(16.9%), ‘long-established local restaurants by region’(16.6%), and ‘Hansik culture and origins’(13.5%).