Participants of a cooking class using Korean traditional sauces at the Korean Cultural Center in Italy try Korean food in this October 2025 photo. Courtesy of Korean Food Promotion Institute
The government will open a new culinary school for authentic Korean foods, or “hansik,” aimed at overseas students to boost the globalization of traditional Korean cuisine.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Thursday that Sura School will be a state-run global hansik education institute to incubate chefs and promote hansik worldwide.
The school will offer two curricula. One will focus on Korean cuisine in general, ranging from basic knowledge to cooking techniques, as well as the management of restaurants and other related establishments.
Starting in the second half of this year, the curriculum will be provided at universities, companies and other private organizations designated by the government as a Sura School branch. Developed by the government, it will center around training practical techniques. Internship at renowned hansik restaurants here will be part of the program.
Prior to launching the school, the government will begin promoting the initiative overseas. Korean embassies and state-run cultural agencies abroad will serve as outposts for the effort, hosting seminars for aspiring participants. The government also said it will introduce hansik programs at globally prestigious culinary institutes such as the Culinary Institute of America and ALMA – The School of Italian Culinary Arts to draw interest from foreign students.
Graduates will receive government-issued certificates. The ministry is also considering introducing a new immigration status for foreign nationals who complete the Sura School program.
The other curriculum will focus on high-end Korean cuisine at Premium Sura School. With a fewer number of students selected, the program will be hosted at a metropolitan location to be determined later and involve one-on-one training by celebrity chefs or hansik masters. It will be launched next year.
To ensure the sustainable operation of the program, the government will seek partnerships with producers of traditional Korean sauces — known as “jang” — including Buddhist temples that prepare vegan temple cuisine and companies in the hansik dining and food processing industries. The ministry also expects the program to provide local food ingredient producers with more channels for sales and exports.
The government said Sura School was inspired by global culinary schools like the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners, the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and Institut Lyfe in France. The authority said these schools were all initiated by governments to promote their countries’ traditional culinary culture to foreigners.
Source: Korea Times News
