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Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody

Unique Culinary Culture of "Samgyeopsal" Worldwide and the Resurgence of Korean Pork Cuisine
Sizzling on the grill and accompanied by various fresh vegetables for wrapping, ‘samgyeopsal’ is perceived as a condensed embodiment of South Korea's distinctive culinary culture. Unprecedented love for Samgyeopsal(pork belly) - Why do Koreans love this particular part, which is made at best into "bacon" in Western countries such as Europe and North America?

In fact, the history of enjoying eating pigs is only about 100 years. However, pigs not only signify a rich and generous heart, which is indispensable for ceremonial occasions, but are also a source of the energy felt from the hearty satisfaction of devouring a bowl of steaming pork rice soup.

The documentary takes a close look at the culinary culture of the Korean people, exploring the enjoyment of pork in various recipes, from pig head to toe, including pork belly.

  • HeonSeok Baek
    Director
  • SangYong Shin
    Director
  • Yongha Seo
    Producer
  • Sungjin Ahn
    Producer
  • Jongwon Baek
    Key Cast
    "Presenter"
  • KBS
    Production
  • ELTV
    Production
  • SeungSoon Yoo
    Cinematographer
  • Yoonhee Lee
    Writer
  • JunA Chun
    Writer
  • Jaeyeon Park
    Researcher
  • Sieun Park
    Researcher
  • PhilLight
    Lighting
  • RealRadio
    Recording
  • CupStudio
    Editor
  • Aeyoung Lee
    CG
  • YoungDae Kim
    Color Calibration
  • Story Ground
    Typography design
  • GoneSound
    Mixing
  • EunKyung Sohn
    Sound Effect
  • JeongYoon Choi
    Music
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    SamGyeopSal Rhapsody
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature, Television
  • Genres:
    Culinary Tradition, Food and culture, Korean cuisine
  • Runtime:
    48 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    December 20, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    South Korea
  • Country of Filming:
    South Korea
  • Language:
    Korean
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 14th Independent PD Awards
    Seoul
    Korea, Republic of
    February 1, 2021
    Grand Prize
  • 33th Korean Producer Awards
    Seoul
    Korea, Republic of
    April 14, 2021
    Best Independent production at TV section
Distribution Information
  • KBS Media
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - HeonSeok Baek, SangYong Shin

Heonseok Baek has run ELTV, a Korean production house, since graduating from Hanyang University with a B.S. in electronics engineering and an M.A. in journalism and mass communication.
For the past thirty years, he has produced television documentaries and series about culinary delicacies and plates from an anthropological perspective. He launched and produced an original ‘RAPSODY’ series, including ‘Korean Pork Belly Rapsody’, ‘Korean Cold Noddle Rapsody’, and ‘Hanwoo (Korean Beef) Rapsody’, and released them on KBS, Netflix, and other broadcasts. The first episode, "Pork Rapsody," won an award for the best project at the Korean PD Awards in 2021, and he also got the cultural medal from the ministry for his contribution to the TV industry. His interest is growing, and he recently produced another food documentary series, ‘A Nation of Broth.’ , ‘A Nation of Kimchi.’ , ‘A Nation of Banchan.’

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Director Statement

The sizzling grilled Samgyeopsal(Pork belly), which can be wrapped and eaten with various vegetables, shows the fruit of the cohesiveness of Korea’s unique food culture.
Why do Koreans love this particular part, which is made at best into "bacon" in Western countries such as Europe and North America? The documentary was run as a KBS year-end special and recorded the highest viewer rating of 4.5% when it was aired. This is counter-evidence on their interest.