For the first time, women are leading more than 10 percent of Korea's Michelin-starred kitchens. It took a while to get here.
{img}The newly released Michelin Guide Seoul and Busan 2026 lists 46 starred restaurants in total, five of which are run by women head chefs. That works out to about 10.9 percent, up from three out of 40 last year. It is the first time, based on available data, that women in Korea have crossed the 10 percent mark at this level.
Globally, the picture is still stark. A 2022 analysis across 2,286 Michelin-starred restaurants in 16 countries found only about 6 percent were led by women, a figure that has barely moved since. Some countries have none at all. Michelin's own international director, Gwendal Poullennec, put it plainly at the 2024 French ceremony: for every woman-led Michelin restaurant in the world, there are roughly 16 run by men.
The five women behind Korea's numbers each have a distinct story. Kim Bo-mi of Mitou in Gangnam trained in Japanese ryokan and Tokyo kitchens after a student internship introduced her to kaiseki. She co-founded Mitou with chef Kwon Young-woon, built the restaurant around traditional kaiseki reinterpreted through Korea's seasonal ingredients, and this year earned two stars and a Green Star, the highest rating among the five.
Kim Hee-eun of Soul in Yongsan started out as a ceramics student before switching to culinary school at 20. She went on to win gold and bronze at international competitions, worked in hotel kitchens, and developed a contemporary tasting menu that blends Korean and Western cooking. Her restaurant has held one star since 2023 and attracted a wider audience after she appeared on Netflix's "Culinary Class Wars."
{img}Cho Eun-hee of Onjiam carries a different kind of credential entirely. She is a certified holder of Korea's Important Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 38 for Joseon royal court cuisine and trained under masters at the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine. The restaurant ranks among Asia's 50 Best and the World's 50 Best.
Kim Ji-hye of Fiotto in Busan rebuilt from almost nothing. Two restaurant closures during the pandemic and a thyroid cancer diagnosis could have ended her career. Instead, she channeled the experience into a fermentation-driven, farm-to-table philosophy that earned both a Michelin star and a Green Star.
Choi Hyeon-ah of GAGGEN by Choi Junho rose to kitchen head at three-star restaurant Kanda in Tokyo before bringing her seasonal kaiseki training back to Seoul.
{img}Their paths are all different. What they share is that they got here despite a system that has made it genuinely difficult. Women chefs in Korea, as elsewhere, still describe being kept away from core cooking stations, pressured to hide pregnancies, and overlooked for recognition despite international medals. The industry is moving, but slowly.