Jung Festival of Korean food at London's King's Cross, May 1 / Courtesy of Jiji Ahn
LONDON — What was billed as London’s largest Korean food festival quickly drew overwhelming crowds and equally long queues.
The festival had already gained traction online before opening day. But as videos of packed walkways and hourlong queues began circulating on social media, the scale of interest became immediately clear. A timed entry system was introduced for the remaining days as additional crowd control measures, with slots quickly selling out, highlighting both the demand for the event and the challenges of managing it.
Some visitors chose to leave before entering, while others who had traveled from outside London expressed frustration at the long waits, both to get in and to order food. Several stalls also sold out early, suggesting that demand had exceeded expectations and that planners had not fully accounted for the scale of interest.
Yet the turnout signaled something undeniable: Korean food in London is no longer niche, but its rapid rise is beginning to expose its limitations.
Jung Festival of Korean food at London's King's Cross, May 1 / Courtesy of Jiji Ahn
Over the past decade, Korean food has been entering the mainstream steadily in the U.K. Restaurants, supermarkets and delivery platforms have made Korean-inspired dishes more widely available than ever.
But as interest has grown, so too has adaptation. Korean flavors have been folded into burgers, fried chicken and fusion menus, often prioritizing accessibility over accuracy. For some Koreans in London, this has led to a growing concern that the cuisine is being simplified or at times misrepresented.
Jung Festival arrives at precisely this moment, when Korean food is widely recognized, but not always fully understood.
The organizers were clear about their intentions from the outset.
Source: Korea Times News
