김치냉장고의 탄생: 발효 음식, 새로운 주거 환경, 냉장 기술

This article examines the process through which the “kimchi refrigerator” emerged in South Korea, beginning with the rapid change in the living environment during the 1960s and 1970s. The popularization of apartments in the urban areas led to the “kimchi problem,” as the new living environment posed significant challenges to the traditional methods of preserving kimchi. During the next several decades, Koreans came up with various alternative methods and technologies to store kimchi, from simple wrappings using synthetic materials such as Styrofoam, to more complex refrigeration technologies that eventually led to the kimchi refrigerator that we know today. The first electric appliance known as the kimchi refrigerator was manufactured by Goldstar in 1984. Through a historical survey of kimchi storing methodologies, this article will trace not only the successful technologies that survive, but also the failed technologies that disappeared. This will provide a more nuanced understanding of the history of technology in modern Korea.