Across a Divided Peninsula, a Deep-Rooted Kimjang Tradition Remains Common Ground

Children make kimchi during the “2025 Garak Market Kimjang Sharing Festival” held at Garak Mall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on November 17.

SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Kimchi, long celebrated as a flagship of K-food and a global superfood, is inseparable from kimjang — the centuries-old Korean tradition of preparing and storing large quantities of kimchi in early winter.

As temperatures drop, many South Korean households still gather to salt cabbage, mix spices and fill jars in a seasonal ritual that endures despite shrinking family sizes and changing lifestyles.

North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency reported on November 21 that, with the kimjang season arriving in November, families across the country are stocking up on cabbage and radishes to make kimchi at home, even as kimchi production facilities such as the Hwasong Kimchi Factory are in operation.

North Korea, too, preserves the kimjang tradition, though with its own striking differences. One of the most notable is linguistic: North Koreans often describe the arduous process as a “battle,” a reflection of the sheer scale of preparation.

While large-scale kimjang has become rare in the South, a typical four-person household in the North reportedly prepares 400–500 kilograms of cabbage and radish—sometimes even a full metric ton.

Participants pose for a commemorative photo while making kimchi at the “Imsil Crunchy Kimjang Festival,” which opened on November 21 at the Imsil Cheese Theme Park in Imsil County, North Jeolla Province.
The festival, which runs through November 23, offers kimjang workshops and a sales event where visitors can receive salted cabbage and seasoning either by parcel delivery or on-site pickup (drive-through).

North Korean state television airs instructional kimchi segments during the season, and cities host kimchi-making competitions featuring elaborate, regionally inspired recipes.

The basic process is similar to that of the South, but one key divergence is in seasoning: North Korean kimchi rarely uses fish sauce, a staple in the South’s rich, deeply flavored kimchi styles.

Regional tastes also vary north of the border. Northern provinces like Hamgyong and Pyongan favor cleaner, fresher flavors, while southern regions such as Hwanghae lean toward more savory profiles.

In Hamgyongbuk-do, the home province of researcher Kim Young-hee, whole-cabbage kimchi and radish kimchi often include pollock, while Kaesong is known for its delicate bossam-style kimchi.

Participants, including members of the Seocho-gu Saemaul Women’s Association and the Saemaul Leaders’ Council of Seocho-gu, make kimchi during the “2025 Sharing Kimjang of Love” event held at the Seocho District Office on November 20.

South Korean kimchi is typically characterized by bolder seasoning, generous use of salted seafood and a deep, complex flavor. North Korean kimchi tends to be milder, with less salt and chili pepper.

North Korean defectors often remark on how little brine is found in South Korean kimchi compared with the versions they grew up with, which customarily include added liquid.

Both Koreas have earned global recognition for the kimjang tradition. In 2013, UNESCO added South Korea’s “Kimjang: Making and Sharing Kimchi” to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Two years later, North Korea’s “Tradition of Kimchi-Making” was also inscribed. The paired recognitions highlighted kimjang as a shared cultural heritage transcending borders—underscoring, even in divided times, the enduring common identity of the Korean people.