101 East

South Korea: Kimchi Crazy

South Korean cuisine has taken the world by storm, but has the love for food transformed into an unhealthy obsession?

Meet South Korea’s unlikeliest superstar – BJ Fitness Fairy.

Each night, she eats enough for three people in front of a webcam watched by thousands of viewers.

Critics say this bizarre trend is a symptom of widespread unhappiness and a rise of one-person households in South Korea.

They believe it’s also a consequence of the government’s fanatic push to use food as a band aid after decades of conflict and colonisation.

But the country’s love of food is also changing gender stereotypes. Cooking shows are inspiring men to enter the kitchen.

101 East gets a taste of South Korea’s food obsession.

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