Seoul, Korea – CJ E&M announced on March 14 that it will begin airing the third season of MasterChef Korea on its food channel Olive TV on April 19. The new season notably welcomes celebrity judge, Hooni Kim, the Korean-American owner of Danji in New York, the first Michelin-starred Korean restaurant.

Hooni Kim

Since launching in 2012, MasterChef Korea has been one of the highest-rated variety programs in Korea introducing viewers to the world of Korean and Asian cuisine. Hooni Kim’s participation on the show is expected to highlight the success and impact that Asian chefs are making across the world. Kim, who moved from Korea and lived in both England and the U.S. growing up, left pursuit of a degree in medicine to attend The French Culinary Institute. In 2010, he opened Danji, which became the first Korean restaurant to receive a prestigious Michelin star. Chelsea Clinton, Drew Barrymore, and Natalie Portman are among the notable figures to have dined at the restaurant.

Having worked with various leading professional chefs around the world, Hooni Kim will help discover and mentor Korea’s up-and-coming amateur chefs on the show. With the first filming involving Kim and the audition of the top 100 contestants now finished, it is expected that the famous chef will focus on the three principles of taste, temperature, and texture in his judging and guidance as the season progresses.

Each season MasterChef Korea introduces a diverse collection of amateur chefs who are mentored and evaluated through competitions by expert judges. Past contestants on the show have included a North Korean refugee, K-Pop idol star, and 66-year-old Korean-Chinese grandmother. Successfully localising the original U.S. format for a Korean audience, the show has featured traditional Korean ingredients such as kimchi, gochujang (fried red pepper paste), and rice cake. The final episode of the second season of MasterChef Korea was the top ranked program among cable TV shows in its time slot.