Women make large quantities of kimchi during an annual community sharing event in Seoul's Seongdong District on Nov. 18, 2020. (Photo: Yonhap News)
A dispute has broken out between South Korea and China over the origin of the spicy fermented cabbage dish kimchi.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in Seoul has defended kimchi as a central part of Korea's food culture, adding that the process of making it has already been officially recognized by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization as a global standard for nearly two decades.
The comments on Monday directly refuted claims by Chinese media that Beijing won International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification for its kimchi making process.
The ministry said Beijing recevied certification for pao cai, a type of pickled vegetable consumed in China, which "has nothing to do with kimchi."
China's claim on making the international standard for kimchi has sparked strong responses, as many people regard it as Korea's soul food.
In 2013, the entire Korean process of making kimchi, known as kimjang, was added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
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