NANRO Foundation announced on September 7 that it has selected three fellows for the second year of its global hansik talent program, ‘NANRO NEXT.’ Among them, Ma Hyun-soo, head sommelier of Michelin two-starred Soigné, is the first non-culinary professional to be named a fellow since the program launched in 2025.
NANRO NEXT is a fellowship program in which senior chefs nominate the next generation of Korean-cuisine talent, and NANRO supports them across cooking education, restaurant management, branding and overseas internships. Two fellows were chosen last year, and the class was expanded to three this year. Joining Ma are chef Park Su-young — formerly head chef of Michelin three-starred Jungsik in New York — and chef Shim Su-jeong, senior chef at Onjium.
Wine and other beverages carry significant weight in fine dining — pairings can account for 30 to 60 percent of a menu’s price. Yet floor staff receive comparatively little recognition in industry awards. The Michelin Guide Seoul & Busan 2026, for example, named 233 establishments and awarded stars to 46, but recognized front-of-house talent with only two prizes: one Sommelier Award and one Service Award.
Ma raised this point in his acceptance remarks at the ‘NANRO NEXT 2026 Gala Dinner’ held on September 6 at Rudbeckia in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. “For great food to reach a guest and truly move them, you need not only the chef but also the manager and sommelier who prepare and present the experience,” he said. “We aren’t simply serving food for three hours — we’re guides on a journey with our guests. I hope the managers who run restaurants and those working behind the scenes will gain more visibility and opportunities to grow.”
The gala drew about 50 attendees, including NANRO Foundation Korea-U.S. chair Choi Jung-yoon and chef-owners Choi Hyun-seok of Choidot, Kim Hee-eun of Soul, Jung Ji-sun of Tian Mimi and Park Ga-ram of Dresden Green. Chef Lee Jun, who runs Rudbeckia alongside two-starred Soigné, and chef Sung Si-woo of one-starred Legum served as hosts for a four-hands collaboration dinner.
Chef Park Su-young — who joined Jungsik Seoul as a junior cook in 2013 and went on to serve as head chef and director in New York — said, “Building a brand is a very different challenge from what I’ve known as a chef and operator. I’d like to seek advice from mentors on the mindset a founder should carry.” He is currently preparing to open his own restaurant in Los Angeles. Chef Shim Su-jeong, who has spent more than a decade at Onjium, said, “I once thought my time at Onjium was long, but when it comes to Korean cuisine, I feel it’s only just beginning. As one tree in a forest, I’ll steadily pursue the values that matter.”
NANRO NEXT is funded by individual donors. On the evening, plaques of appreciation were presented to the first through twelfth Korean patrons, beginning with Park Hee-eun, partner at Altos Ventures and NANRO’s first Korean patron. “Starting something new is always difficult,” Park said, “but I thought that if anyone would just begin, it would make it less burdensome for those who follow.”
“NANRO NEXT is a program in which senior chefs and experts from every field directly discover and support the next-generation icons who will lead Korean gastronomy on the world stage,” chair Choi Jung-yoon said. “We will continue our support so that the fellows can grow into the game-changers of the future hansik industry.”
NANRO Foundation began in 2022 as a hansik-branding gathering and became a nonprofit in 2023. Chair Choi Jung-yoon serves as Korea chair of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. More than 400 experts from F&B, IT, media and finance participate, and the foundation runs the global hansik conference ‘NANRO INSIGHT’ and the education program ‘NANRO Academy.’
· Original (Korean): korea.time.com
