More and More South Koreans Are Going Vegetarian – The Diplomat

The Koreas | Society | East Asia

In a rustic famend worldwide for its barbeque, vegetarian and veganism is on the rise in South Korea. And with extra individuals occupied with meat-free choices, corporations and even the Korean authorities are taking observe.

According to the Korea Vegetarian Union, there are about 1.5 million individuals in South Korea that comply with some kind of plant-based food regimen, and about 500,000 vegans who don’t eat any animal merchandise in any respect.

It additionally appears that extra Koreans are searching for out details about vegetarianism yearly. According to an intensive evaluation by The Food and Beverage News, a publication targeted on the meals business in South Korea, weblog posts on the nation’s predominant portal web site, Naver, about vegetarianism leapt from simply over 7,000 in 2015 to almost 30,000 in 2019. In these blogs, the commonest purpose weblog authors cited for slicing down on meat consumption was for well being, with 63.1 % of blogs mentioning wholesome cooking, adopted by moral causes at 52.9 %, environmental safety considerations at 36.2 %, and eager to reduce weight at 26.3 %.

Several high-profile Korean celebrities are vegetarian or vegan, spreading curiosity and details about these life to followers and the general public. Noted vegetarian Lee Hyori has proven off her meatless life-style by means of her widespread actuality present, and just lately was noticed sporting a vegan leather-based jacket throughout an look on TV. As Lee’s vogue selection exhibits, the vegan pattern in South Korea is just not restricted simply to meals. In a pure leap for the house of Ok-beauty, the skincare business can also be diving into the vegan pattern by means of traces like Amorepacific’s “Enough Project,” launched this summer time.

With all of this rising curiosity in avoiding meat and different animal merchandise, South Korea’s meals business is taking observe. Last summer time, Beyond Meat, a U.S.-based plant-based meat firm, efficiently launched in South Korea, and native grocery chain Lotte Mart quickly adopted swimsuit, launching its Gogi Daesin (“instead of meat”) line this May. Mirae Asset has additionally invested in American plant-based firm Impossible Foods, injecting $150 million into the model, well-known for its Impossible burgers. Fast meals is even leaping on the pattern, with Lotte’s Lotteria chain introducing its “Miracle Burger” in February this 12 months.

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The pattern is not only changing burgers and sausages, although. Convenience retailer GS25 is now launching vegan tteokbokki so as to add to its lineup of immediate meals, giving vegetarians and vegans a solution to benefit from the widespread spicy rice cake snack on the go.

And, in maybe the most important shift towards dietary inclusivity on a systemic degree, the Korean army will quickly begin formally giving vegan choices to these serving their obligatory army service. The transfer is supposed to assist accommodate each vegans and vegetarians in addition to those that don’t eat sure sorts of meat for spiritual causes.

There is one other government-provided service that will must suppose extra about dietary restrictions as properly — quarantine meals. Animal rights teams have identified that the meal bins offered to individuals in required self-quarantine after publicity to a COVID-19 case or when arriving in South Korea from overseas are swimming with animal merchandise, at instances leaving vegetarians with little to eat aside from rice, kimchi, and seaweed. Although considerations over the make-up of quarantine meal bins are hopefully quickly to be behind us, this may very well be one other venue along with army meals for the nationwide and native governments to widen their lodging for individuals with totally different dietary wants.