Culinary masters from around the world gather in Chuncheon... 11 dishes from six countries offered free at the Makdak Festival’s International Pavilion

【Financial News | Chuncheon — Reporter Kim Gi-seop】At the Chuncheon Makdak Festival, fresh pasta from Parma, abalone dishes from Dalian and Hofu’s kawara soba are sharing the stage, offering festivalgoers a taste of six countries.
According to Chuncheon on the 14th, the city held an overseas-city chefs’ tasting event at the International Pavilion of the 2026 Chuncheon Makguksu and Dakgalbi Festival, which opened that day around the Gongjicheon riverside promenade. Chefs from seven cities and regions across six countries—including Dalian and Changzhou in China, Lam Dong Province in Vietnam, Hofu in Japan, Parma in Italy, France and Spain—prepared dishes on site showcasing the traditional cooking methods and food cultures of their hometowns.
The tasting event will run daily at lunchtime and in the evening through the 18th, the final day of the festival. Over the five days, around 4,500 people can sample 11 dishes for free. Those wishing to attend can apply in advance on the International Pavilion website.
The chef who drew the most attention was Lucas Charton, in charge of the French and Spanish dishes. With more than 36 years of experience in kitchens around the world, he built his career at a two-Michelin Guide-starred restaurant in Paris and five-star hotels. For the festival, he prepared French-style chicken Marengo and Spanish-style chicken paella, both centered on chicken, creating a connection with Chuncheon, the home of dakgalbi.


Two Chinese cities took part. Chef Huang Jin-wi of Dalian presented traditionally prepared abalone dishes and cherry pork. A Chinese culinary expert, he won gold in the Chinese cuisine category at the 2022 Liaoning Provincial Vocational Skills Competition and has been named a Liaoning Gold Medalist, Liaoning Technical Master and Xingliao Future Craftsman. The chef team at Changzhou Zhongwu Hotel presented dongpo pork and sesame cakes. The team included Chef Yu Seo-mun, a master of Changzhou regional and Huaiyang cuisine, and Wang Ryeol, a pastry chef specializing in traditional snacks and noodle and pastry dishes.
Chef Michele Buia, who came from Parma, Italy, presented tortelli made with fresh pasta dough he kneaded by hand. He runs Trattoria Il Cortile, a family business dating back to 2008, and gives Parma’s traditional cuisine a modern interpretation through aged cured meats, veal dishes and gluten-free courses.
Lam Dong Province, Vietnam, was represented by Chef Nguyễn Trần Trung, secretary-general of the Lam Dong Chefs’ Association and a Vietnamese culinary master, and executive chef Phan Văn Minh, the association’s vice chairman. The two chefs introduced Vietnamese food culture with pho, spring rolls and a pork dish served with sticky rice.
Chef Yasushi Nakatani of Hofu, Japan, prepared kawara soba, a local specialty served on a piping-hot roof tile topped with green tea soba noodles. An expert in traditional Japanese kaiseki cuisine, he is president and head chef of Sokaen. He has also contributed to the development of local tourism, serving as vice chairman of the Hofu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and chairman of the Hofu Tourism Convention Association.

[email protected] Kim Gi-seop Reporter