THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF KOREAN FOOD PROMOTIONS INSTITUTE (KFPI) IN PROMOTING KOREAN GASTRODIPLOMACY IN THE UNITED STATES (2011-2017)

Abstract

In the era of globalization, the usage of food as the tool of negotiation has become a new term in the world of diplomacy. The practice is called gastrodiplomacy. South Korea is one of countries that aspire to increase the country's reputation by promoting its food and food culture throughout the world. The United States has become the target for the promotion of Korean food and its food culture. In order to promote Korean food, particularly in the United States, the South Korean government formed a non-profit organization under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) called the Korean Food Promotion Institute (KFPI) in 2010 to play a role in promoting and making South Korean food and food culture to be global. This thesis analyzes the contributions of KFPI within the period of 2011 to 2017 in promoting food and food culture, which are used as South Korean diplomatic tools in the United States. With the results, the public interest of the United States towards Korean food increased to 88.4 percent in 2017, and the amount of South Korean restaurants reached to a total of 2,247 units. The method used for the research is qualitative method with books, journals, and articles, as a secondary source, and also government publications from South Korean government officials, and KFPI as the main sources. This thesis will provide detailed information regarding the contributions of gastrodiplomacy by the South Korean government through KFPI.