Movie "Shik-gaek - Kimchi War" exciting theaters

- filmed mainly in ‘kimchi city’ Gwangju; released Feb 28th

Big things are expected of the upcoming movie "Shik-gaek - Kimchi War", filmed in the kimchi-city of Gwangju, which will hit local screens this coming Feb. 28th

'Shik-gaek' is a Korean comic by master-illustrator Hwa Yeong-man. It first became a movie in 2007, which was watched by 3 million people nationwide. In 2008 it re-appeared as a SBS drama, also titled ‘Shik-gaek’ which starred Kim Rae-won.

“Shik-gaek - Kimchi War” is the second Shik-gaek story. Its storyline centres around Korea’s national dish, kimchi, and so people are hoping it can become an internationally acclaimed Korean movie.

This movie is expected to focus attention on Korean food both at home and abroad: in addition to kimchi’s health benefits, as shown by its purported resistance to the recent AI and H1N1 ’flus, and its renown in fermented-food circles, the movie is being released at a time when Korean food is in the spotlight internationally, thanks to efforts to globalize Korean food.

The movie shows Chun-yang-gak, a restaurant proud of its long traditions, where a fiery kimchi contest takes place between international chef Jang-eun (played by Kim Jeong-eun) and challenger Seong-chan (played by Jin-gu). To Koreans kimchi is never boring, even though it’s eaten every day, and likewise the taste of mother’s homemade cooking is never to be missed: such feelings of taste and nostalgia run through the movie, which hopes to stimulate the five sense of its audience.

A special preview showing of “Shik-gaek - Kimchi War” will take place in Gwangju on Feb. 26th, and will be attended by stars from the film, including Kim Jeong-eun, Jin-gu, and director Baek Dong-hun. The reason for the event is to give thanks to the residents of Gwangju for their consideration and support when filming took place in the city.? ?

Gwangju city contributed 300 million won to the movie’s production fee, to showcase the excellence of kimchi as the national Korean food through the movie, and to increase the brand value of the city of Gwangju, a kimchi heartland. The main filming locations in the city were the outdoor stage at Gwangju City Hall Cultural Square, Bit-go-eul Silver Health Town, Bit-go-eul Gymnasium, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology University, Chonnam University hospital (in Hwa-sun), amongst others.

“The movie ‘Shik-gaek - Kimchi War’ is both centered around kimchi and produced in Gwangju. If it becomes well-known internationally, especially at a time when Korean food is being promoted abroad, then we can expects many overseas visitors to come to Gwangju, and to taste its delicious kimchi,” said a City official.