Netflix's 'Culinary Class Wars' billed as largest K-cooking survival show yet

Netflix's "Culinary Class Wars" will be the biggest cooking survival show in Korean entertainment show history, according to the show's producers, Wednesday.

"Culinary Class Wars" features cook-offs featuring 100 contestants split into two teams: the white team, composed of Korea's top chefs, and the black team, made up of little-known chefs and cooks such as local restaurant owners.

The contestants will face off in multiple elimination rounds with a panel of judges led by star restaurateur Paik Jong-won and Michelin three-star chef Ahn Jung-jae.

Co-producer Kim Han-min, known for leading hit survival entertainment shows such as "Sing Again" and "Two Yoo Project Sugar Man," said he aimed to create a show that appears to be a type of battle between the classes.

"The unknown chefs and cooks wearing black symbolize the 'dirt spoon' (someone from a humble background), and the famous chefs, the 'silver spoon' group," he said, during a press conference held in Jung-gu, Seoul, Wednesday.

"We wanted to portray (the show) as a war between classes, so we depicted (the contestants) in black and white," he added.

Co-producer Kim Eun-ji stated that the distinctive concept of "class war" has led to the development of unique narratives.

"Through the match-ups between unknown chefs and famous chefs, unexpected results have emerged. I believe a unique narrative has been created," said Kim.

Kim Eun-ji added that "Culinary Class Wars" is expected to be one of the biggest cooking survival shows in Korea.

"When discussing 'Culinary Class Wars,' the scale of the show is something we must highlight. There has never been a cooking entertainment show in Korea with a scale like this. We created a set measuring 1,000 pyeong in area to accommodate 40 people cooking simultaneously," she said.

"I believe it will be a spectacle unprecedented in the history of global cooking survival shows," Kim Eun-ji added.

As for Paik, the star entrepreneur said he chose to appear on the show as he hoped "Culinary Class Wars" would draw more attention to Korean food.

"With the rising popularity of BTS, Blackpink, and Korean dramas sparking greater interest in Korea, many people have become curious about the country. However, some foreigners think that Koreans only eat ramen or kimbap," he said.

"I hope Korean cuisine becomes more widely known through Netflix," he added.

The first four episodes of "Culinary Class Wars" will be released on Netflix on Tuesday.