Pizza at Nammi Plant Lab. Korea Times photo by Olivia Han



By Olivia Han



Every year, more and more people around the world are embracing a plant-based, vegan lifestyle. Often dubbed the "vegan revolution," it is more a practice of abstaining from the use of animal products for health reasons, to prevent animal cruelty and to protect the environment.



Despite kimchi, bibimbap, and the array of plant-based side dishes, Korea is not a country that first comes to mind in terms of veganism. It is indubitably a meat-centric society and unsurprisingly, the Huffington Post called Korea one of the 13 worst countries for vegans in 2014. One central role in stigmatizing vegan diets are the lack of plant-based only options in school meals across Korea. Introducing meat from a young age also unintentionally creates an addiction to its taste, making a transition into a vegan diet even harder at an older age.



Also, joining the small 1 percent of Koreans that are vegan can lead to social isolation or ostracism. One strategy to avoid spending the night endlessly eating side-dishes during a work event or dinner is to have plant-based food prepped.



Sprout, a vegan, packaged to-go delivery service located in Haebangchon ships throughout Korea, and has been growing in popularity. According to Sprout's General Manager Jon Collins, many of their customers are actually not even vegan or vegetarian. Most are described as "reducetarian," meaning that a lot of them actively choose to consume less meat to "improve their health, protect the environment, and spare farm animals from cruelty."



"Korea is a global hub of innovation and exporter of culture and cuisine but also a major customer of international media and pop culture. Obviously the vegan or plant-based trend has been cultivating and growing for quite a while in the West," said Collins in an email to The Korea Times. "In addition to these external influences, there is a local grassroots movement that can be seen around universities like the popular weekend nightlife neighborhood around Hongdae," says Collins. He said he has seen animal rights Activists like Anonymous for the Voiceless and other small groups generally working to raise awareness about the treatment of livestock animals.



With many in Korea having growing interest in a healthier diet, they are making the shift to veganism. As Collins said, "When people have a viable and delicious alternative to eating animal meat, many are willing to make the switch to a plant based diet."



As a result, more vegan restaurants and delivery services can be found, especially in Seoul. "Happy Cow," a website that features vegan restaurants, now has 371 listings for South Korea, with 217 of them in Seoul.



Korean mobile app "Go.Greenfeed" filters vegetarian and vegan restaurants based on your live location. Attendance at the annual Korean Vegan Festival has increased by 15 percent since its creation in 2013, drawing 10,000 people this year.





Burger at the Plant in Itaewon. Korea Times photo by Olivia Han