NANRO Foundation, a Korean-cuisine research institution, announced on September 7 that it has selected three new fellows for the second year of its global hansik talent program, ‘NANRO NEXT.’
NANRO Foundation is a global exchange community and education institution dedicated to nurturing and supporting the next generation of talent for the hansik industry. NANRO NEXT is the only fellowship of its kind in Korea, discovering and supporting the next-generation leaders who will drive the industry forward. Through senior chef nominations, fellows are chosen from Korea and the United States, and given systematic education and mentoring that covers traditional hansik and K-Food cooking, restaurant management, branding, marketing, design and overseas internships.
The ‘NANRO NEXT 2026 Gala Dinner,’ held on September 6 at Rudbeckia in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, introduced the three newly selected fellows. About 50 industry leaders attended, including NANRO Foundation Korea-U.S. chair Choi Jung-yoon and NANRO NEXT mentors Choi Hyun-seok of Choidot, Kim Hee-eun of Soul, Jung Ji-sun of Tian Mimi and Park Ga-ram of Dresden Green — all of whom hosted last year’s gala.
Chef Park Su-young, formerly of Jungsik — the first Korean restaurant in the U.S. to earn three Michelin stars — was named the third fellow and shared his acceptance remarks by video. The fourth fellow is Ma Hyun-soo, head sommelier at Soigné, and the fifth is Shim Su-jeong, senior chef at Onjium.
“We will continue to actively support the fellows selected through NANRO NEXT,” chair Choi Jung-yoon said, “so that they grow beyond today’s wave of hansik popularity and become the game-changers of the future Korean-food industry.”
· Original (Korean): realfoods.co.kr
