Kimchi panic!

Ah, kimchi. Nothing says Korea like kimchi, right? WRONG!

A scandal has recently broken involving health concerns with kimchi imported from China. A Korean politician has released a report from a supposedly reputable research institute that charges that Chinese kimchi has unhealthy high levels of lead. However, many consider the real scandal to be that this scare has revealed that more than half of all restaurants here in Korea are serving Chinese made kimchi!

The Korea Times has the full story. Further evidence that this story is having a real impact is available on the excellent Korea blog The Marmot's Hole.

I wonder how much of the hysteria is about the potential health issues, and how much is a reaction to the realization that foreigners are cornering the market on the kimchi supply....