Thousands prepare kimchi at charity for Seoul's poor

Seoul: Thousands of people in the South Korean capital on Friday cooked up a 50-tonne feast of traditional spicy cabbage known as kimchi, at a charity event for the city's poor.
Sporting red hats and pink gloves, more than 4,000 people gathered around long tables set up in City Hall Square to make the strong smelling dish of fermented cabbage, spice paste, garlic, ginger, and fish sauce.
Kimchi is "just the most Korean thing," said Kim Nam-su, the organiser of the Seoul Kimchi Festival, which celebrates a tradition known as 'kimjang' - the making and sharing of the popular dish among families, friends and communities.
"The kimchi made here will be distributed to the vulnerable via a social welfare council," Kim added.
South Koreans consume about 1.48 million tonnes of kimchi every year, according to the World Institute of Kimchi.