"Showcasing K-Food's Flavors"... Sempio CEO Park Jinsun Establishes 'Sempio Our Taste Culture Foundation'

Conducting Research on Food Culture and Globalizing Korean Cuisine

Park Jinseon, CEO of Sempio and chair of the Sempio Our Taste Culture Foundation (third from left), poses with board members for a commemorative photo at the founding general meeting held last August. Photo provided by Sempio.

Sempio said on October 15 that its CEO, Park Jinsun, had established the nonprofit Sempio Our Taste Culture Foundation.

Sempio said it established the foundation to systematically carry out public-interest activities that share its research into Korean flavors and its experience related to food culture with society, and pass the value of food culture on to future generations and the world, as the company marks its 80th anniversary this year. To that end, Sempio held the foundation's inaugural general meeting in August and received approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in September.

Since Sempio was founded in 1946, Park has researched Korean flavors, focusing on jang (fermented sauces) and fermentation. Drawing on the experience accumulated through this research and its food culture activities, the foundation plans to promote a culture of enjoying cooking, research Korean flavors and fermented food culture, and pursue public-interest projects focused on the sustainable globalization of Korean cuisine.

The foundation's board will include Kim Mi-sook, former director of the Korean Food Promotion Institute's Korean Food Culture Center; Lee Jae-jung, former Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education; Hye-kyung Jeong, professor emerita in the Department of Food and Nutrition at Hoseo University; and chef Cho Hee-sook.

A foundation representative said, "With global interest in K-food growing, it has become more important than ever to properly introduce the value and appeal of our food culture and make it something people around the world can enjoy in their daily lives. We will continue to share our accumulated research into Korean flavors and experience in food culture with society to promote a joyful cooking culture, properly introduce the value and appeal of our food culture to the world, and contribute to the sustainable globalization of Korean cuisine."

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