He spent 160 million won ($140,000)on a 60-person dinner in Napa Valley, California, in 2007. He brought all the ingredients, six chefs and over 1,000 pieces of dinnerware created exclusively for the event. The goal was to introduce hansik, or Korean cuisine, to influential world figures.

The ambitious man is Cho Tae-kwon, CEO of KwangJuYo, one of the nation’s leading tableware brands. He recently published the book “Taste of Patriotism” to tell his experiences in hansik promotion over the last two decades.

“Countries that are known for chinaware also have world-famous cuisine and drinks. They are all consumed at restaurants, which are places that carry the total culture of a country,” Cho told The Korea Herald.

“Visiting many countries, I have gone though a lot of trial and error and experienced different cultures and traditions. I felt the need to share what I have learned with everyone.”

Cho became interested in hansik soon after he inherited the family ceramics business about 20 years ago. He wanted to cook up the best food to be placed on his plates and bowls, and found the need to create a total “set” of culture -- from traditional drinks to wallpaper. He has invested about 60 billion won so far in his grand project.

The book contains his insights and perspectives on how every part of society should chip in to globalize hansik. His key point is that everyone should participate in a master plan to prepare for 2030 when the global food industry will grow into a $5 trillion market.

“What we need most right now is a paradigm shift. We have reached a point where we should make money out of culture, but no one is thinking about that. The government is only talking about hansik globalization and everything is in chaos,” said Cho.

“We should make it a goal to create a population of 10 billion hansik eaters by 2030. We should establish a master plan at the state level, like how the country formulated the industrialization plans from the 1960s through 1980s. I will play my part, but the goal is not something that can be achieved at an individual level.”

By Park Min-young (claire@heraldcorp.com)