Paris Festival Highlights Korean Sauces and K-pop

“Although a Korean food boom in Paris has brought the number of Korean restaurants to about 300, there are few authentic places actually run by Koreans. I wanted Parisians to experience the true taste of traditional Korean sauces.”

Primetime CEO Lee Jae-yo, a third-generation Korean-French citizen, explained why he took part in the K-Street Festival held for two days beginning Sept. 6 at Parc André-Citroën in Paris. Now in its fifth year, the festival is organized by Primetime, a group led by second- and third-generation Korean residents in France, under an MOU with the city’s 15th arrondissement. More than 40 local K-food and K-beauty businesses participated, staging events from a Korean cooking contest to K-pop cover dance and DJ performances, and drew about 60,000 visitors over two days. Roughly 90 percent were French teens and young adults in their 20s.

The highlight was a cooking competition centered on traditional Korean sauces. Eighteen chefs from France and Korea presented inventive fusion dishes built around soy sauce, red chili paste, and soybean paste. On Sept. 7, Gong Myung-hwi won the final with a fusion pork-belly steak paired with a soybean-paste sauce. Chef Eric Ticanna, serving as a judge, said, “The subtle flavor of traditional Korean soybean paste came through well. Unlike kimchi, sauces blend with other foods and offer broader versatility.”

Chef-owner Kwon Woo-joong of the two-Michelin-star restaurant Kwonsooksoo in Seoul also served as a judge, drawing attention. Kwon personally brought 500 servings of soybean paste, soy sauce, and other traditional sauces from Seoul and hosted a tasting for Parisians. “In France, cheese—an ingredient that requires aging—is essential. Because Korean sauces undergo plant-based fermentation, I think they will be readily embraced,” he said. “Seeing Parisians’ bright expressions as they taste the sauces today, I believe Korean sauces will soon trend across Europe.”

The grounds also reflected surging global interest in “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” known in Korea as “Kedeheon.” When “Golden,” a track from the series’ soundtrack, played over the speakers, young Parisians flocked to the main stage, singing in unison and dancing together. The Kedeheon merchandise booth drew one of the longest lines, rivaled only by the BTS booth. Capitalizing on attention to Seoul as a filming location, the Seoul Metropolitan Government set up a photo zone that pulled in crowds. CEO Lee said, “Many second- and third-generation Koreans still bear the emotional wounds of discrimination they experienced growing up, but now they can proudly display and celebrate their Korean identity. I am thrilled this era has arrived.”


Keun-Hyung Yoo noel@donga.com