When did the MODERNIZATION of Korean food begin?

Hongdo Kim’s Lunch (19^th century)

김홍도의 점심 (1800년도 후반)

Yongsuk Jo’s Lunch (17^th Century)

조영석의 점심 (17^th 세기 조선)

Two paintings above were drawn by Hongdo Kim (1745 – 1806?) and Youngsuk Jo (1686 – 1761), respectively. Hongdo Kim is one of Three Great Artists during Chosun period, and he is renowned for depicting common people’s everyday life in his paintings. Yongsuk Jo is more known for drawing lives of scholar officials and yangban. Both painted a group of labor workers having lunch. In both paintings, the workers are sitting on the ground; they either hold their bowls – probably gookbab, a rice over a soup – or put the bowls on the ground. People used tables at home, but the tables they used looked like modern coffee tables. The tables were shorter than tables we use nowadays. Also Koreans enjoyed one dish meal rather than a course meal, and their menu was very simple. A bowl of rice, a bowl of soup, and a spoon or a pair of chopsticks were all they needed.

Korea-Japan trade treaty banquet painting (1883)

조일통상조약(朝日通商條約) 기념 연회도 (1883)

Eating culture in Chosun started to change as the “modernization” began. The picture above was drawn to commemorate the Korea-Japan trade treaty in 1883. This treaty was an important one for Korean traders and merchants because previous Gangwha treaty with Japan in 1786 was an unequal treaty. Though new treaty was still more favorable to the Japanese traders, its many clauses were made to protect Chosun traders. The modernization of Korea began around late 1890s when the hermit kingdom, Chosun was forced to open ports to foreign countries like Japan, German, the British Columbia, etc. Foreign traders flocked into Korea and brought sugar, wine, whisky, etc. along [1]. 

In this picture, everyone is sitting on a chair and eating at the table. Let’s take a look at the table in front of this guy in yellow gown, the second to the most right in the back row. He has wineglass, tea cup, and tea pot in front of him. He also has two or three knives and forks. Probably what they were eating is not traditional Chosun food. Foreign food and foreign eating manner were shocked Koreans because they were totally different from what and how they ate.

References:

1. EBS DocuPrime: A Talk about Korean Food. Educational Broadcasting System, 2012. 

2. Joo, Youngha. Food in Art, History behind Food. Seoul: Sagaejul, 2005. Print.