In the past it was difficult to imagine ourselves buying water. It was the same with kimchi. People couldn’t imagine themselves buying kimchi. Modern society is so busy so people can’t find the time and energy to make their own kimchi. Even in Korea there are more people eating Chinese kimchi. HONG: When you made kimchi when I was little the kimchi you gave me tasted so good I can’t forget it. KIM: Yes it was the same for me when I was little. I have that sense of pride, that kimchi is from our country. But the fact that our kimchi is losing its place in this world...is just a little sad for me. With cheap, Chinese-made kimchi imports widely available, Korean manufacturers are finding it increasingly hard to compete. So because my mother made good kimchi people in the town would bring their ingredients and ask my mother to make kimchi for them. Friends would come over and ask if I could pack them some kimchi. It all started just like that. So one day, I thought to myself, maybe if we sell kimchi, people would buy it. A new trade agreement with Chine could open up a big new market. But at home, there are still big challenges for Korean kimchi manufacturers. In the past it was unusual to buy kimchi from a kimchi company because our mothers would make the kimchi at home. So our company faced a lot of difficulties selling kimchi at first. More and more people eat Western food now. About ten years ago kimchi consumption was about 100g a day but now it’s only about 60g. If this trend continues, I guess there is a possibility of kimchi disappearing. Of course that musn’t happen though. When you eat Korean gochugaru, the taste just smoothly splashes in your mouth. But Chinese gochugaru tastes like, how can I explain this...a little sour and it doesn’t taste clean. Because it is extremely cheap. KIM: It tastes mystical doesn’t it? KIM: The sauce goes well with the salted cabbage so even if it’s not ripe it taste delicious. KIM: So if you eat this with a hot spoonful of rice, it’s hard to express that taste. HONG: Give me another piece. KIM: Korean people can’t eat without kimchi.