In the center of a settlement in the Kherson region, just a few kilometers from the front line, the appetizing sizzle of juicy bulgogi, a traditional Korean dish, can be heard. Here operates a unique cafe with an equally unique creation story. Its founder is Hikwan Pak, a man who gave up a successful career and life in the capital of South Korea for the sake of love.
“I began to seriously love my wife and decided to live in Ukraine,” Hikwan Pak says confidently, telling us his story that began 6 years ago.
Before moving he lived in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. There he worked as head of the marketing department in a large company and simultaneously developed his own restaurant business. However, his life completely changed after meeting online a girl from Beryslav named Yuliya.
“Six years ago I met my wife online. I was planning to travel around Ukraine. Then we got to know each other better, and I began to seriously love her. Later I decided to live in Ukraine because she wanted to stay only here, right in the Kherson region,” Hikwan recalls.
The girl really was resolute; she did not plan to move either to Korea or to any other country. Instead, she invited her beloved to her home.
“He came the first time, lived with us for a month in Beryslav. He liked everything, and when we decided that we would develop our relationship, I immediately said that we would live only here. I will not go anywhere,” the woman says.
The couple married only half a year before the full-scale invasion. The Beryslav area impressed Hikwan with its fertile lands, so, without much hesitation, he decided to try his hand in agriculture. They built greenhouses and prepared to grow strawberries. When everything was already ready for the season, the war stood in the way of their agricultural plans. Beryslav ended up under Russian occupation.
The couple was forced to leave; they spent some time abroad. However, longing for their home brought Yuliya and Hikwan back to the de-occupied Kherson region.
“Still, my native land always pulled me. Therefore we decided to come to the Kherson region. Choosing between towns and villages, we decided that the best option would be Velyka Oleksandrivka. There’s logistics here, it’s freer here, and it’s closer to home,” Yuliya tells reporters.
She says her husband had always dreamed of returning to the restaurant business, so they decided immediately what to do: “When we arrived, almost in one day we decided to open a cafe. The question arose where to set up the establishment, and we were lucky: we found a suitable premises in just a week, rented it and started working. We are the only Korean cuisine cafe in the frontline territory; there is nowhere like this in all of Ukraine. So we decided: why not try?”
Kimchi recipe with a thousand-year history
At Hikwan’s cafe they cook exclusively according to traditional recipes. For this, the couple orders products that are not available in Ukraine directly from South Korea. The main pride of the establishment is fermented cabbage kimchi made by a special recipe.
“My husband’s family is very traditional, its culinary roots date back almost 1,000 years in Korea. The kimchi recipe is passed down from generation to generation. When we traveled to Korea, we specifically went to Hikwan’s aunt to learn all the nuances of this recipe,” the wife shares. News of the local kimchi quickly spread beyond the settlement, so the Pak family’s signature cabbage is now ordered by mail across Ukraine.
“Try to guess by taste what this is made of,” Yuliya smiles, offering us something unusual on the plate.
They couldn’t guess the secret; Yuliya immediately explained — on the plate is marinated greens of a special variety of radish, which retains its crunch for several years.
For products that don’t require going to Korea, such as vegetables or meat, Hikwan intentionally buys only from local farmers.
“We live together with these people. Even if I can buy something in another city, I think there’s no point. My wife and I decided: we buy everything here to support our district,” he says.
The South Korean chef has already gotten used to Ukrainian daily life; he shares that he likes borscht only homemade. And when asked whether he feels a difference between Ukrainians and Koreans, Hikwan answers simply: “People are the same everywhere. If you are a good person, you can live freely anywhere in the world. The only difference now is that because of the war people have become less active. But in every other respect there is no difference. Ukraine is my wife’s country, and therefore my second homeland.”
Today the Pak family continues to develop their business, updating a special menu for regular visitors every month and proving that even in a frontline region there is a place for beloved work, tasty food, and faith in the future.