The Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 on Saturday kicked off in Seoul, showcasing the distinctive flavors of Vietnam's iconic national dish to culinary enthusiasts in the city.

The Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 is co-organized by the Embassy of Vietnam in South Korea, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, and Saigontourist Group under the direction of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City.

Chef Hong Le of Hotel Majestic Saigon prepares ingredients to cook phở to serve diners at Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Seoul on October 5, 2024. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

The event is made possible through the collaboration of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, the Association of Vietnamese Communities in Korea, the Business Association of Vietnamese in Korea, and the Korea-Asia Economic Cooperation Association.

The festival features a performance stage, along with nearly 70 booths including more than 40 offering phở and other Vietnamese and Korean delicacies.

The Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 bring together Vietnam's top chefs and renowned phở brands such as Phở Dậu, Phở Phú Gia, Phở Sen, Phở Thìn Bờ Hồ - 1 Hàng Tre, and Phở Ta, among others.

There are spaces for cultural experiences, exhibitions, and showcases of Vietnamese cuisine and tourism.

With the slogan 'Enjoy Phở, Discover Vietnam,' the organizers aim to use the fest to promote people-to-people diplomacy, strengthen the friendship between the two nations, and highlight their culinary cultures.

They also hope to foster trade connections, leveraging the economic and tourism potential of both Vietnam and South Korea.

9:45 am GMT+7 Lee Dong Gi, deputy chief of the mission to ASEAN at South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed his appreciation for the hard work of the organizing board, saying that launching such a phở festival requires significant effort.

"Since the Vietnam-Korea relationship was upgraded to comprehensive strategic partnership, trade and investment exchanges between the two countries have increased significantly,” Lee stated.

“Notably, Vietnam has become the country where Koreans want to travel the most in the past year,” he added.

Visitors enjoy phở at the Vietnam phở Festival 2024 in Seoul on October 5, 2024. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

“It is expected that five million Koreans will travel to Vietnam in 2024 while trade and investment cooperation will continue to grow.”

Lee noted that both South Korea and Vietnam consider rice as a staple food and share a noodle culture.

For South Koreans, rice represents their entire spiritual culture. While South Koreans used to prefer rice, they have recently developed a strong appetite for phở and other types of noodles.

He observed that many phở and noodle shops have opened and are thriving.

"Fifteen years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Vietnam, and I still remember the taste of Vietnamese phở from that time,” Lee recalled.

“I believe that anyone who has had the chance to enjoy phở would never forget it,” he said.

“At the Vietnam Phở Festival, everyone will surely be able to savor phở authentically, and then I believe people will begin a habit of dining out for phở."

“On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I wish everyone a delightful and memorable experience enjoying phở amidst the fresh autumn air of Seoul."

9:30 am GMT+7 “I believe many Koreans have visited many different parts of Vietnam. And on that journey, they have enjoyed many different flavors and felt cultural differences,” Vu Ho, ambassador of Vietnam to South Korea, added in his remarks.

"I also believe that when you visit Vietnam, one of the first dishes you will be offered is phở. Nowadays, on Vietnam Airlines flights, passengers are also served phở," he said.

A visitor records the festive atmosphere at the Vietnam Phở Festival in Seoul on October 5, 2024. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

The ambassador also affirmed that the Vietnam-South Korea relationship has been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership, which is reflected not only in trade and investment figures but also in deeper and broader exchanges of the two peoples.

"With the Vietnam Phở Festival, I hope that phở will not be limited to be served at phở restaurants but will become a familiar dish in Korean households, whether it is prepared by Vietnamese or Korean cooks," the ambassador said.

9:00 am GMT+7 Despite her busy schedule, Ko Min Jeong, a member of the National Assembly of South Korea, visited the Vietnam Phở Festival and shared her deep impressions of Vietnamese culture and cuisine.

She also expressed her hopes for the strong development of the Vietnam - South Korea relations.

"Many people carry memories of Vietnam through their holidays, but for me, beyond just the trips, I treasure many memories and impressions from my working visits,” she stated.

“It's obvious that the relationship between Vietnam and South Korea is solid and continues to grow.

Distinguished guests pose for a photo at the Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 in Seoul on October 5, 2024. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

“It can be said that both Vietnamese and Koreans share similar traits, such as friendliness, hospitality, and always greeting guests with open smiles.

“At today’s Vietnam Phở Festival, I see many overseas Vietnamese, students, and a large number of South Koreans who love Vietnamese cuisine and culture,” she added.

“I hope everyone will continue to gather more beautiful moments and memories.”

In his opening remarks, Le The Chu, Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre, emphasized that the Vietnamese and Korean peoples have developed a remarkably close relationship.

“We have discussed significant topics such as economic collaboration and exploring each other's literature, art, history, and culture,” he stated.

“Also, cuisine is an essential connection in human life.”

Chu said that Korean and Vietnamese culinary cultures share many similarities, including rice, an indispensable ingredient and plays a dominant role in many dishes of both countries

“Phở, in particular, is a special thing,” he highlighted.

Le The Chu, Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper gives his remarks at the opening ceremony of the Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 on October 5, 2024. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

“The fragrant bowl of phở, with its distinctive flavors from clear broth, chewy rice noodles, tender slices of beef, and fresh green onions, has become a culinary symbol of Vietnam, beloved by people all over the world.

“Phở is not just a symbolic dish of Vietnamese cuisine, it also embodies the spirit of the Vietnamese people,” he added.

“Eating a bowl of phở is not only about savoring delicious flavors or filling one's stomach, it is also about experiencing the cultural values of Vietnamese cuisine," Chu concluded.

Since early morning, representatives of phở brands from Vietnam and South Korea were among the first to arrive, meticulously preparing their booths and pots of phở broth, eagerly anticipating the opportunity to serve hot bowls of phở to South Korean diners.

Professor Bae Yang Soo from Busan University of Foreign Studies, along with ten students from the Vietnamese Faculty, who had previously participated in a writing contest on phở as part of the festival's activities, were among the next to arrive.

Park Ra Gyeong, a freshman in the Vietnamese Faculty at Busan University of Foreign Studies, shared that she and her friends left home at 5:00 am and took a train to Seoul to attend the festival.

"The biggest striking impression is the lively atmosphere here and the aroma of food coming from the stalls,” she said.

“We're eagerly looking forward to enjoying delicious phở at the festival.”

Park Ra Gyeong, Kim Nam Ju, Shim Yun Ji and Park Jin Hee traveled more than 400 km from Busan from 5am to attend the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Seoul on October 5, 2024. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

The festival, of course, welcomed Vietnamese living in South Korea. 

Pham Duong, who is living and working in Seoul, learned about the Vietnam Phở Festival in South Korea through Facebook groups and decided to invite his friends to join him to attend the event.

"It's quite exciting. Coming here gives me a sense of home, which eases my homesickness a bit," Duong said.

Meanwhile Tran Van Hien, traveled from Busan to Seoul the night before upon hearing about the festival. 

"Attending the festival makes me feel a deep longing for home," Hien shared.

Tran Van Hien (first from left) and Pham Duong (second from left) pay attention when chef Le Duc Huy and Nguyen Tien Hai, who previously won Golden Star Anise awards for best phờ chefs, explain to them how to cook phở with Ngoc Linh ginseng at the Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 in Seoul on October 5, 2024. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre News

Vietnamese visitors, Thuy Trang and Thu Thuy, arrive at the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Seoul in the early morning of October 5, 2024. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

The promotional banner for the Vietnam Phở Festival 2024, taking place in Seoul, South Korea on October 5 to 6, 2024

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