Korea's vegan scene with Quinn Phan

Interview by Courtney Bullock (@thecourttt)

There are a few key staples to eating out in Korea. Kimchi, soju, and almost certainly, meat. Gogi is seemingly ubiquitous in Korean cuisine, enough to even turn a wary traveller's stomach at times. Veganism, however, is on a slow and steady rise in Korea, with a handful of plant-based business practitioners bringing the diet to the mainstream.

Quinn Phan, certified vegan nutritionist and owner of Yeonhui-dong's Vegan & Beyond, spoke to us about the current state of veganism in Korea and what veganism means to her. After being born in Vietnam and spending her teens in Savannah, Georgia, Quinn started Vegan & Beyond, an all-in-one vegan restaurant, café, grocery, and bakery focused on creating a comfortable space for both vegans and non-vegans.

Over the past few years, Seoul has seen a definitive growth in interest in veganism. What are your thoughts on the current state of the Korean vegan scene?

The trend is definitely going up. People are starting to become more aware of what they eat and put into their bodies. Many believe that some illnesses come from eating meat, like cow flu, bird flu, and whatnot. We have a huge older population in Korea, and as people get older, they really care about what they eat and how it affects their life in the long run. And you can definitely see the difference in the vegan scene now compared to, say, eight years ago. So now I feel lucky to live in Korea as a vegan because we have so many options.

With Vegan & Beyond, I wanted to offer my services and my food to people to make their life easier, whether they're vegan or interested in transitioning into veganism. You can also see a lot of companies here starting to invest in vegan products, such as ready meals. 

As demand goes up, supply goes up to meet it. So, the more people become aware of the healthy aspects of veganism and its positive contribution to our lives, the more demand there will be. As demand increases, companies take notice, and these days, a lot of places around Seoul offer vegan options.

So, you feel it's more health consciousness that has fueled this rising interest in veganism more so than the moral obligation to our environment?

I think it's definitely health consciousness. Much of the focus of the Korean vegan scene is on the well-being and diet of people. 

But part of the movement is animal-focused, too. Lately, the laws have been changing surrounding animal abuse. There have been many protests, and I feel people are becoming more aware of animal rights. As a vegan, you see all animals are the same. They all have life and feel things. If you don't eat dogs, why would you eat cows?

I want Vegan & Beyond to be a place where people can come and enjoy food and socialize, build relationships, and make friends, whether you’re a vegan for animal rights, health reasons, or you’re not a vegan at all.

In your presentation at the Go Vegan Forum, you mentioned your shop is plastic-free. Even the plastic wrap is made from sugarcane, correct?

We try to avoid using it entirely, but if we have to, it's made from sugarcane. It takes only one hundred eighty days to decompose as opposed to two-hundred years. It's all made from corn. Of course, the price is a bit higher, but I figure it's what you pay to protect the environment. 

We try to do what we can, even if it's small things. I'm very zero-waste conscious. I just don't like having plastic around. Especially when I go to a regular bakery, and they wrap every individual pastry goods in plastic.

There's this group called Cafe Latte Club, where you can return your old paper cartons. They turn into artworks or something new and creative. Here, we gather the cartons, clean them, and donate them. Even if you put stuff in the recycling bags, only one to three per cent get recycled. So that's why projects like Cafe Latter Club. We're also part of the Zero Club here. People who bring their own containers or tumblers can earn points. 

As a vegan business owner, it's natural that you should care about the environment because that's the whole point, right? Whether you do it for health or for animals, and especially animals since they're part of our environment. To me, it feels like the right thing to do, and I want to do what I can.

One major concern for many people is the cost of a vegan lifestyle. Do you feel this is a valid concern, particularly in a place like Korea where produce tends to be more expensive and finding alternative products can be more difficult?

Veganism in Korea is still quite new, so the products are difficult to find. Normal supermarkets don't carry vegan cheese or butter, so it can be challenging. Because we're importing them, the cost is expensive. By the time it gets to the consumer, the price is quite high. But think about it, if I'm a consumer, I know no living beings had to suffer for this, and for me, it's worth it when you think about what you put in your body. 

Many things are affordable, too. If you want an alternative to milk, try soy milk. Cheese can be quite expensive, but cheese is typically expensive, vegan or not. You can also make your own cheese! I think you can be vegan on a budget. It's not impossible.

Do you find your customer base is largely foreigners looking for food to accommodate their lifestyle? Do local Koreans frequent here as well?

Many foreigners are vegan before they come to Korea, but when they come here, they're like, "Oh, I cannot be vegan anymore!" It's so difficult, so they become vegetarian or something like that. But most of my customers, around eighty to ninety per cent, are foreigners. But here in Yeonhui-dong we have a lot of vegan customers who are Korean that come by often. There are also customers who are just curious or who have dietary restrictions. It's hard to find vegan and gluten-free food, so we're an option for them.

Veganism is not very popular yet in Korea. We have a good amount of people who are learning more about veganism, but the general public still doesn't understand why someone wouldn't eat meat. It's still so new because they have a meat culture here, and the meat is a kind of status symbol. If you eat meat, it means you're rich or powerful. You get energized if you eat meat, that kind of thing. 

Society is becoming more aware of veganism, so that's why I created this space so that even non-vegans can come. Many people are curious and come in to try it. They'll say, "oh, wow, this is really good! You can't tell this is vegan!" They often have this stereotype that vegan food is boring or has no flavour. I want to help erase that stereotype and show people that vegan food can be delicious, too. You don't need unnecessary suffering to make delicious food or desserts. 

Do you find there's any negative to being in the vegan business?

As a vegan business run by a foreigner, it's quite a challenge. The problem is, as a foreigner, it's hard to get the same treatment a Korean business owner would.

At the Go Vegan Forum, you said "Veganism isn't about being perfect, it's about doing the very best that you can." Can you explain what you mean by that?

Absolutely. I'm not trying to convert people into die-hard vegans. There is no such thing as a perfect vegan. But as I said, we do what we can, and even a little bit goes a long way. People have told me they came to the events, they tried the food and going forward, they want to try and eat vegan food on the weekends. To me, that's huge. Amazing.

That's why I do what I do. You don't need to be completely vegan to help save the Earth. We don't need one person doing a vegan diet perfectly. We need many people to do an imperfect vegan diet, and that's what helps the most. Saying no to a to-go cup and bringing a tumbler is really, really great. We welcome anyone who wants to try, not only vegans, but everyone. Whether you just want some good or are just curious about plant-based dishes.

For more information on Vegan and Beyond, follow them here.