More than 20 years of service across five presidents — that is the résumé of Cheon Sang-hyun, who recently appeared on Netflix’s competition show “Culinary Class Wars” Season 2. Now, the veteran chef is drawing renewed attention for a different reason: reflecting on what it was like to cook for Korea’s most powerful figures. For two decades, Cheon worked at Cheong Wa Dae, Korea’s presidential office, preparing meals for five former presidents. He recalls that their dining habits varied sharply — from Kim Dae-jung, known for his especially hearty appetite, to Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in, who favored unpretentious, everyday meals. Cheon looked back on his years in the presidential kitchen during an appearance on an MBC Radio show on Thursday. Long before becoming known to the public as a “white chef” on “Culinary Class Wars,” he had already made history at Cheong Wa Dae — as the first specialist in Chinese cuisine to serve there, the youngest chef ever appointed and the longest-serving. “I’m the first presidential chef to receive a pension,” Cheon said, explai
From barbecue to raw fish to instant noodles: Korean presidents’ distinct tastes in food
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