
About this episode
Jaega Wise explores the impact of Korean culture on the popularity of Korean food in the UK.
Hallyu - the Korean Wave - is taking over. With dramas and films like Squid Game and K-Pop Demon Hunters topping the Netflix charts, K-beauty products filling TikTok feeds and chemist shop shelves, and the global tour of the biggest K-Pop band in the world, BTS, about to begin, there’s no getting away from it’s impact. In this programme Jaega Wise explores how this fascination with Korean culture is driving the popularity of Korean food across the UK. She chats with celebrity chef and author, Judy Joo and meets the restaurant owner catering for some of the most well-known K-Pop bands in the world. Jaega also takes a look at the products hitting our supermarket shelves, and finds out why the sharing concept is central to the ethos of Korean food. Presented by Jaega Wise and produced by Tory Pope for BBC Audio in Bristol
People in this episode
Host: Jaega Wise
Guest: Judy Joo
Topics covered
- Korean food
- Korean culture
- Hallyu
- K-Pop
- celebrity chefs
- supermarket products
Keywords
- Korean Wave
- K-Pop
- Korean food
- celebrity chef
- supermarket
- sharing concept
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BTS
Products: K-beauty products
Books & works: Squid Game
Places: UK
More episodes of The Food Programme
- Inside England’s School Food Shake‑Up · June 12, 2026 · 42 min
- The Price of Food · June 5, 2026 · 42 min
- The BBC Food & Farming Awards 2026 Launch: Belfast here we come · May 29, 2026 · 42 min
- The future of our fruit and veg · May 22, 2026 · 43 min
- Food Stories of Roots and Roads · May 8, 2026 · 41 min
- A Life Through Food: Matt Tebbutt · May 1, 2026 · 42 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Food Programme podcast page.