'Kimchi war'

In the run-up to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, in the United States, a row broke out between Japan and South Korea over who would supply the athletes' village with kimchi.

The two countries also took their dispute to the United Nations' Codex Alimentarius, an organisation which sets voluntary standards for food.

Dr Chaelin Park from the World Institute of Kimchi tells Vicky Farncombe how South Koreans were upset because they thought Japan was "attempting to take over" their national dish.

"For Koreans, kimchi is more than just food - it’s part of our cultural identity," she says.

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(Photo: Kimchi. Credit: Getty Images)