Labor ministry opens Gwangju kitchen test site to 23 trainees for master-chef class

The labor ministry said Thursday that 23 young people from the Gwangju area, including apprentice students from Soongeui Science and Technology High School, took part in a career-exploration lecture with a Korean master chef at a cooking test center in Buk-gu, Gwangju.

The session, titled "From Sweat to Master," was led by Ahn Yu-seong, a designated Korean master, who spoke on "the skills and attitude a cook needs in the AI era." He discussed how advances such as artificial intelligence are changing the kitchen and what role skilled technicians will play, then demonstrated dishes and cooked alongside the students, passing on techniques built up over years of professional work.

The lecture was organized by the Korea Human Resource Development Institute as part of its Domain AI lecture program, which applies AI to specific industries and jobs, and the agency opened its national cooking qualification test center to the students as a space for hands-on career experience. The agency said the aim was to strengthen the job skills of high school students in the dual training system, which combines classroom study with paid work at a company, and to help them plan their careers.

The event was carried out under an environmental, social and governance initiative of Ieum Junior Bridge Board, a body made up of young employees at the agency, which opened the institute's facilities to the local community and drew on the expertise of skilled workers to support young people in the region.

"I hope this lecture is a great help to young people in the region as they plan their futures," said Lee Byung-hoon, president of the institute. "The institute will take the lead in supporting apprentice students so they can grow into core talent who will lead South Korea."