Indonesians & Korean Food

[Anchor Lead]

The popularity of Korean pop culture in Indonesia has bumped up the popularity of Korean cuisine as well. Korean food is impressing the discerning palates of more and more Indonesian Muslim consumers.

[Pkg]

Young Indonesian women donning Korean traditional costumes stage the traditional Korean fan dance. They are the members of a Korean culture club based in Bandung. It was founded 12 years ago by 15 college students, and has grown to have more than 2,200 members. They get together once or twice a week to practice K-pop dancing and traditional Korean dance as well as learn how to read in Korean.

[Soundbite] (Members of Korean Culture Club)

Recently, the popularity of Korean culture among young Indonesians has spread to Korean cuisine as well. One Korean bakery brand posted 40-percent growth in Indonesia last year, becoming the number one premium bakery brand just five years after debuting in the Indonesian market.

[Soundbite] (Indonesian Consumer) : "I learned about the good quality of Korean bread after seeing it on a Korean TV drama."

As more and more conglomerates have been establishing a presence in the Korean culinary sector recently, eight Korean food franchises have opened in Indonesia alone. Korean cuisine has captivated the palates of Indonesian consumers with its spicy foods and growing recognition. More upper- and middle-class consumers are willing to spend their money on Korean brands these days in the largest Southeast Asian country.