Nallo Hagwon hosts kimbap gathering with chef Woo Jeong-wook

Nallo Hagwon, a hansik research institution, hosted the "Nallo x Woo Jeong-wook Nallo-hoe powered by SKS" — billed as the Kimbap Nallo-hoe — in collaboration with chef Woo Jeong-wook.

The event took place Monday at SKS Seoul in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where Nallo Hagwon and Woo explored the cultural value of kimbap and its potential on the global stage.

The gathering also served as a launch celebration for Woo's book "The Gimbap Book," held under the theme "One Roll of Kimbap, to the World." SKS Seoul, the venue, is a showroom LG Electronics operates under its SKS brand and has partnered with Nallo Hagwon on cultural exchange events since 2024.

About 120 guests attended, including chefs from Michelin Guide-selected restaurants, cast members from the Netflix variety program Culinary Class Wars, and figures from the culinary world. The event was sponsored by Vasak, Alain Ducasse Chocolat Paris (Terarosa) and agricultural corporation Leadra.

Woo spoke about the background behind the book, his philosophy on kimbap and its meaning, and his thoughts on kimbap's rising global profile. Chef Park Ju-seong of Sauvage and Yoo Yong-wook, director of the Yoo Yong-wook Barbecue Research Institute and Imok Smoke Dining, also participated, each presenting kimbap that reflected their own culinary philosophies. Accompanying dishes included a dried-vegetable tteokbokki made with joraengi rice cakes and dried greens, and a kimchi shot combining Korean beef broth, dongchimi and kimchi liquid with acorn jelly.

Choi Jeong-yun, chair of Nallo Hagwon, said the event with Woo "was a time to freshly explore the value of Seoul home cooking, following earlier work on temple food and traditional hansik." She added that the institution would continue "creating spaces of connection to pass on the philosophy and wisdom embedded in hansik to the next generation and share it with the world."