National Kimchi Day (South Korea)

National Kimchi Day celebrates kimchi, the salted and fermented vegetable dish central to Korean cuisine and culture. Made with vegetables such as napa cabbage, radish, and cucumber and seasoned in many different ways, kimchi has hundreds of regional and seasonal variations. It may be served as a side dish or used in other foods, and its flavors can range from mild and white to tangy, savory, and spicy.

The holiday is observed in South Korea on November 22 and was enacted as a national anniversary in 2020. The date falls during the late-autumn kimjang season, when families and communities traditionally prepare and share large quantities of kimchi for the winter. This communal practice involves salting, seasoning, and packing vegetables, then preserving them in traditional earthenware vessels called onggi or in modern kimchi refrigerators. Kimjang reinforces family cooperation and community ties, and UNESCO added the tradition of making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013.

Kimchi’s history reaches back thousands of years. Early versions were salted or fermented vegetables created to preserve food through Korea’s long, harsh winters; the familiar red, chili-seasoned varieties developed later. Today, National Kimchi Day honors both the food and the knowledge, cooperation, and cultural identity woven into its preparation. In 2024, South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs marked the occasion with kimchi-making, tasting, exhibition, and cultural events, including a celebration in Seoul.

How to Observe National Kimchi Day (South Korea)

Celebrate by tasting kimchi, learning about its many varieties, or preparing a batch of your own. Enjoy it alongside a meal or incorporate it into a dish, and learn about kimjang, the communal tradition of making and sharing kimchi for winter. You can also explore the UNESCO description of kimjang to understand its cultural importance.

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