JEJU — Byun Eae-saeng, CEO of Hallasan Green Pork and a member of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Tourism Association, has achieved a remarkable double victory at the 2026 K-Food Global Master Chef Championship, held in Seoul on October 3.

Organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and hosted by the Korea Master Chefs Association, the prestigious national competition brought together approximately 1,000 top culinary professionals from across South Korea. Participants competed fiercely in various categories, including live cooking, exhibition contests, bakery arts, and stage performances.

CEO Byun captured the judges' attention by creatively modernizing traditional Jeju banquet dishes and local ingredients. She was awarded the Gold Medal in the Meat Category for her three innovative dishes:

Jeju Horn Turban Shell and Mom-guk (Seaweed soup)
Black Pork Noodles and Dombe-gork Sam (Boiled pork slices with wraps)
Gujwa Carrot Gwanghae-jirm-tteok (Traditional oil rice cakes infused with Gujwa carrots)
Furthermore, Byun claimed the Stage Performance Grand Prize by demonstrating live culinary artistry featuring Jeju horse meat—showcasing yuk-sashimi (raw beef/horse meat slices) and yukhoe (seasoned raw meat)—alongside traditional Jeju dessert rice cakes.

What set her presentation apart was the seamless integration of Jeju’s unique history and culture—such as the Jeju haenyeo (women divers), King Gwanghae, and traditional community banquets—transforming the dishes into rich, storytelling-driven gastronomic content.

"Through this award, it is deeply meaningful to introduce the value of Jeju’s local ingredients and traditional cuisine to a nationwide audience," said CEO Byun. "I will continue to develop Jeju's unique ingredients and culinary heritage into diverse dining contents so that visitors to Jeju can experience both the taste and culture of the island."

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