By Kim Hayeon
A British town has designated "Kimchi Day" for the first time in Europe.
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in London on Jan. 30 proclaimed Nov. 22 as Kimchi Day and will mark this occasion on this every year starting this year.
Kingston includes New Malden, home to the biggest Korean expat population on the Continent.
The news release titled "Kingston's Korean heritage to take center stage as borough declares International Kimchi Day" said, "The Royal Borough of Kingston will become the first place in Europe to join Korea and a growing number of states across the USA to mark Kimchi Day."
"Kimchi, pickled, fermented vegetables, is the national dish of Korea," it added. "UNESCO recognised Kimjang, the process of preparing kimchi, as part of Korea's intangible cultural heritage."
"The date marks the 22 health benefits of the food and the various different ingredients used to make Kimchi. The dish is also traditionally prepared around November, ahead of winter."
Kingston Council leader Andreas Kirsch said, "The announcement that the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is to become the first place in Europe to declare 22 November as Kimchi Day annually is a fitting celebration of the central role our Korean communities play in the cultural life of our borough."
"This is particularly important for us, as this year also marks the celebration of 140 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and the United Kingdom."
Korean Ambassador to London Yoon Yeo-cheol said, “We hope that Kimchi Day will serve as an opportunity to deepen the understanding of Korean food and culture among the British people, and also to further enhance the friendship and strengthen mutual cooperation between the two countries."
The Korean government designated Kimchi Day on Nov. 22, 2020, as a legal anniversary.
In the U.S., New Jersey is seeking to be the country's eighth municipality to designate Kimchi Day as a legal anniversary following states like California, Virginia and New York.
hayeounk8@korea.kr
