Korea held its first official ceremony for Hansik Day, a newly designated national commemorative day for Korean cuisine, in Seoul on Friday. At the event, officials outlined plans to turn the country’s food into a global cultural and industrial asset. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-hosted the ceremony at the National Museum of Korea, a day before Hansik Day on Saturday. “Hansik” is the Korean word for Korean food. Marked on Oct. 24, the date combines the number 10, which the government says stands for completion and harmony, with the 24 solar terms. These are the traditional seasonal markers that have long guided farming in Korea. About 300 people attended the ceremony. They included diplomats from 15 countries, food industry officials, academics and certified food masters, who are artisans the government recognizes for preserving traditional food-making techniques. Vice Agriculture Minister Kim Jong-gu presented four policy directions. The first is preserving fermented foods such as kimchi and jang, Korea’s soybean-bas