The nanrohoe, in the Joseon period, was a gathering — Silhak scholars like Yeonam Ji-won Park and Yak-yong Jeong would invite friends over, gather around a brazier of glowing charcoal, and grill meat together. But they didn't just share good food across the warmth of the fire. They poured drinks, painted, and recited song — savoring pungnyu, the whole art of living well, in the truest sense of the word.
On September 7, 2023, the nanrohoe held at the Park Seo-bo Foundation with the artist himself brought those old qualities back to life more vividly than any gathering before.
Alongside Park Seo-bo, a master of painting, we were joined by masters of naengmyeon, kimchi, and galbi; masters of Korean spirits; and masters of space design — figures from every field that pungnyu touches. Korean and international guests who share a love for this art of living came together, too.
Everyone's interests and their sense of pungnyu ran in different directions, but the evening made one thing clear: when many things come together in harmony, the reach grows — the pull that carries a shared experience to more people, farther away.
You cannot share a food culture on food alone. You need friends to enjoy it with, and you have to know how to enjoy it with them — trading each person's pungnyu, and having a good time doing it.
