Hong Kong food critic visits Seoul to attract tourists

A renowned Hong Kong food critic is visiting South Korea this week to help the country better attract Chinese tourists and further promote local cuisine, the culture ministry here said Monday. Chua Lam, a movie-producer-turned-food critic, is schedule to stay in South Korea from Monday to Friday, the ministry said in a press release. Chua will visit South Korean restaurants, offering advice on developing menus that best cater to foreign tourists. Choung Byoung-gug, the culture minister, invited Chua, after the two met in Hong Kong in March and discussed ways to promote traditional Korean cuisine known as "hansik." The ministry also said Choung will host the welcome reception later Monday. Chua will visit six traditional Korean restaurants on Tuesday, and three other places that often host Chinese tourists on Wednesday. He will offer his reviews and tips during a seminar scheduled for Thursday. The ministry said a Hong Kong television station and a travel magazine will accompany Chua throughout his stay. "Mr. Chua Lam has organized special gourmet tours to South Korea and brought in many Chinese tourists," the ministry's statement read. "He has been making major contributions to the globalization of hansik and to the stimulation of gourmet tourism here." Chua has worked closely with South Korea for several years. He served as an honorary ambassador for South Korean tourism for the Korea Tourism Organization from 2007 to 2008. He organized several culinary tours to South Korea, helping the country draw hundreds of foreign tourists. The ministry said it expects further help from Chua during the trip. "The ministry has been working to develop ways to promote excellence of hansik, so that we can attack the rapidly growing Chinese tourism market," the statement said. "Mr. Chua Lam should contribute greatly to globalizing hansik and to attracting more Chinese tourists." Chua has dozens of producing credits for films and TV shows. He has worked with action star Jackie Chan on several films, such as "Mr. Nice Guy" and "Thunderbolt."