Three Wooga Squad Members to Add Flavor to ‘Seojin’s Korean Street Food’

When interacting and creating bonds over food, Koreans maintain a strong connection to their culture, lifestyle, leisure, and pretty much everything else. I guess that Korean cuisine can be likened to the balance and harmony that typify Korean culture. It has a distinct personality. The variety of flavors present in Korean cuisine reflects the variety of life and emotions that the country’s people like to periodically share with others. A range of Korean culinary shows created to date – with the express objective of promoting Korean culture via food – is one of the best examples. In this context, Seojin’s Korean Street Food (aka Seojin’s in Korean), an upcoming effort from tvN helmed by director Na Young-seok, appears to be their newest and most interesting offering.

Seojin’s is modeled after the famed reality series Youn’s Kitchen and Youn’s Stay, in which veteran actress Youn Ah-jung and crew serve Korean food to foreign visitors. I preferred Youn’s Stay more because of its stellar cast. Youn, Lee Seo-jin, Jung Yu-mi, Park Seo-joon and Choi Woo-shik were featured as the operators of a hanok (a traditional Korean home) guesthouse that catered to visitors ignorant of the staff members’ real identities. Traditional Korean food was served to them after they were received at the guest house. This time, Lee (who had worked extensively as a director in Youn’s Kitchen) is appointed president and opens a restaurant in Mexico offering Korean street food and snacks to the locals.

The most striking element of Seojin’s (yet again) is the cast. V from BTS has come on board, joining Lee, Park, Choi and Jung. Accordingly, the three Wooga Squad buddies’ reunion serves as the show’s key selling point. For the uninitiated, the Wooga Squad is a famous group of five well-known Korean celebrities. Anecdotally, Park Seo-joon first became acquainted with his co-stars, Park Hyung-sik and V, while they were filming Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth. The two got along from the get-go. Throughout and after filming, their on-screen camaraderie evolved into an off-screen kinship, catalyzing the formation of the group. It was founded by Park Seo-joon, who later included actor Choi Woo-sik and his long-time friend – rapper, record producer and singer Peakboy. The group has since stood by one another, attracting attention for their friendship and brotherhood.

In other words, witnessing the Korean stars in Seojin’s is a real treat in addition to the vibrant depictions of Korean street fare. Sources say that V will be in charge of plating at the restaurant. I sincerely applaud the creators of the show for coming up with such a clever strategy to leverage the global appeal of Korean cuisine, particularly street food, and thereby increase the market for Korean food and food exports. In my mind, they have already hit the nail on the head by depicting the hottest K-drama and idol actors as those who will prepare and serve meals. Seojin’s is a shining example of how a show’s idea, format and casting can be instrumental in promoting the country’s culinary industry.

In fact, South Korea’s love of food is akin to “sexy cooking men,” claims an NDTV report, furthering people’s fascination to watch stylish men cook, chop, sauté, and share tips like advising against using too much virgin olive oil or suggesting that meat should sit out of the fridge for a while before frying. It’s a form of escapism for many viewers. I claim that this is a fundamental truth: We are more likely to have a soft corner for (men in this case) who share a passion for cooking and sharing food. Individuals who love to cook are expressing their thoughts in a manner that implies they take joy in sharing and caring. Of course, if you recognized these traits in your favorite handsome Korean superstars, you would be much more drawn to them. That sort of experience is what Seojin’s Korean Street Food is willing to provide us. The show is scheduled to premiere on February 24th.