A MODERN
BIOGRAPHY ARCHIVE
THE COLLECTION / FoodARCHIVE № 184
1978 —   CHEF

CHOIKANG-ROK

Mar 13, 1978South Korea

What happened at what age?
Where were they at your age?

Around 2002, the year he turned 24, he opened a sushi shop for the first time after learning at the Sushi Academy. As he neared 30, he closed a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant and went to Japan to attend a cooking school. The Japanese-style side dish shop he opened after coming back from Japan did not do well, and he then worked as an office worker at a tuna trading company.

The breakthrough yearIn 2013, the year he turned 35, he won Olive’s MasterChef Korea season 2 and became known. In the final he served abalone porridge, eel dishes and sesame pudding. As a prize he hosted a recipe show carrying his own name, Choi Kang-rok, for 10 weeks.

In 2014, he taught in a hotel cooking department and published his first book, Choi Kang-rok’s Recipe Note. The next year he opened a Japanese restaurant in Nonhyeon-dong with a fellow chef.

Around 2019, clips from his MasterChef Korea 2 days became a topic again on YouTube, and he started his own channel. In 2022, he opened the course-dish bar Neo near Seokchon Lake in Seoul. In 2023, he published the cookbook Choi Kang-rok’s Cooking Notes.

In September 2024, the year he turned 46, he appeared on Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars but was eliminated in the repechage. In a buzz ranking of cast members he placed third behind Paik Jong-won and Sung Anh. That December he closed Neo and appeared on JTBC’s Please Take Care of My Refrigerator.

In February 2025, he started Netflix’s Blank Menu for You, and in June he published his second book, Cooking for Life. In December, he returned to Culinary Class Wars 2 as a hidden White Spoon.

On Jan. 13, 2026, the year he turned 48, he won Culinary Class Wars 2. It was a cooking survival win 13 years after MasterChef Korea season 2, and in the final he served a soup with sesame tofu. Afterward, his book Cooking for Life rose to No. 18 on the overall bestseller chart.

Choi Kang-rok (born Mar 13, 1978) opened his first sushi shop around 2002, the year he turned 24, and became known on Aug 2, 2013, the year he turned 35, when he won Olive’s MasterChef Korea season 2. On Jan 13, 2026, the year he turned 48, he won Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2, 13 years later.

Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.

Full timeline · 21 records2002 — 2026   ＋
AGE / YEAR

  1. 24 · 2002
    Debut

    Opens his first sushi shop

    After working as a kitchen helper at a Japanese restaurant and learning at the Sushi Academy, he opened a sushi shop for the first time. He says it was hard to run on a little over a year of training.

    Source 03 · Money Today (ize) (Korean) · Final interview · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Namuwiki (Korean) · Choi Kang-rok · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Choi Kang-rok · opens in a new tab The opening year is based on Namuwiki’s “age 24” and could not be confirmed in news reports.
  2. 29 · 2007
  3. 34 · 2012
    Past job

    Closes a Japanese-style side dish shop and becomes an office worker

    The Japanese-style side dish shop he opened after returning to Korea did not do well, and he closed it. He then worked as an office worker at a tuna trading company.

    Source 03 · Money Today (ize) (Korean) · Final interview · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Namuwiki (Korean) · Choi Kang-rok · opens in a new tab The side dish shop is confirmed by his own interview. The timing and the office job are from Namuwiki and could not be confirmed in news reports.
  4. 35 · 2013
  5. 36 · 2014
  6. 37 · 2015
  7. 41 · 2019
  8. 44 · 2022
  9. 45 · 2023
  10. 46 · 2024
  11. 46 · 2024
  12. 46 · 2024
  13. 46 · 2024
  14. 46 · 2024
  15. 47 · 2025
  16. 47 · 2025
    Book

    Publishes the essay Cooking for Life

    His second book, about his thoughts on being a chef. On the 18th he was invited to speak at the Seoul International Book Fair’s “Summer, the First Book,” where he said that from his 30s to his early 40s he had tried to give up cooking.

    Source 11 · Newsis (Korean) · “Author” Choi Kang-rok lectures at the Seoul International Book Fair · opens in a new tabSource 17 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Bestseller ranking up 82 places · opens in a new tab
  17. 47 · 2025
  18. 48 · 2026
    Key moment

    Wins Culinary Class Wars 2

    In the mission “the one dish only for me” against the finalist Hasung Lee (Culinary Monster), he served a soup with sesame tofu and soju and won the 300 million won prize. He said at the event that he had spent years pretending to be good at braising when he was not.

    Source 15 · Topstar News (Korean) · Behind the win · opens in a new tabSource 16 · Woman Chosun (Korean) · End-of-series interview, “It’s me, Choi Kang-rok” · opens in a new tabSource 14 · TenAsia (Korean) · Into the TOP 7 · opens in a new tabSource 19 · TV Guide · Culinary Monster on the Culinary Class Wars season 2 finale · opens in a new tab
  19. 48 · 2026
  20. 48 · 2026
    Update

    The prize money arrives

    Chef Jung Ho-young said on YouTube that the prize was paid that day, explaining that under a condition against spoilers it arrives after the result is finalized. Choi says he will put the prize toward a noodle shop he wants to open in his old age.

    Source 18 · Newsis (Korean) · The 300 million won prize arrives late · opens in a new tabSource 16 · Woman Chosun (Korean) · End-of-series interview, “It’s me, Choi Kang-rok” · opens in a new tab

END OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2002–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.

02 / QUICK ANSWERS

Q & AFrequently asked

How old was Choi Kang-rok when he debuted?
Around 2002, the year he turned 24. Namuwiki says that is when he opened his first sushi shop. He later studied in Japan, closed a shop, and worked for a time as an office worker.
How old was Choi Kang-rok when he became famous?
In 2013, the year he turned 35, when he won Olive’s MasterChef Korea season 2 on Aug 2, 2013. The season drew 6,500 applicants, and he received a prize of 300 million won and the chance to host a recipe show carrying his own name.
How many times has Choi Kang-rok appeared on Culinary Class Wars?
Twice. In 2024, the year he turned 46, he appeared in season 1 and was eliminated in the repechage. In 2025, the year he turned 47, he returned as a hidden White Spoon in season 2 and won.
How did Choi Kang-rok win Culinary Class Wars 2?
On Jan 13, 2026, the year he turned 48, in the final’s mission “the one dish only for me,” he served a soup with sesame tofu and soju instead of a braise. He said at the event that he had spent years pretending to be good at braising.
How old is Choi Kang-rok?
Born in 1978, he turns 48 in 2026 (48 as of Sep 28, 2026).
04 / ABOUT THE ARCHIVE

A LIFE,
IN CHAPTERS.

What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.

COLLECTION184Choi Kang-rok / CHOI KANG-ROK

Food · South Korea
Mar 13, 1978 —

Sources and method19 SOURCES   ＋

Ages are counted from the birth year 1978: the year of the event minus 1978, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.

  1. Namuwiki (Korean) · Choi Kang-rok ↗Basis for details such as life, career and publication years that could not be confirmed in news reports
  2. Wikipedia (Korean) · Choi Kang-rok ↗Basis for the birth date (Mar. 13, 1978)
  3. Money Today (ize) (Korean) · Final interview ↗In his own account: began cooking after playing music, as a kitchen helper at a pork cutlet restaurant and a Japanese restaurant; the comic Mr. Sushi King led him to the Sushi Academy, a sushi shop, a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, two and a half years at a cooking school in Japan, and then a Japanese-style side dish shop
  4. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Choi Kang-rok wins MasterChef Korea 2 ↗Final on Aug. 2, 2013; judges Kang Leo, Kim So-hee and Noh Hee-young; menu; prize of 300 million won and a refrigerator; a show carrying his own name
  5. Edaily (Korean) · Recipe show Choi Kang-rok launches ↗Airs weekly at 9 p.m. for 10 weeks from Aug. 26
  6. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Popularity of Culinary Class Wars ↗Episodes 1 to 4 released Sept. 17; 80 Black Spoons and 20 White Spoons; mentions MasterChef Korea winners and runners-up Kim Seung-min, Choi Kang-rok and Park Jun-woo among the cast
  7. Sports Chosun (Korean) · The repechage is convenience store food ↗In a buzz ranking of cast members, Paik Jong-won was first, Sung Anh second and Choi Kang-rok third
  8. Etoday (Korean) · Three more survivors in the repechage ↗Episode 8, released Oct. 1: a repechage for the 10 contestants eliminated in the Black and White team contest. Choi Kang-rok served “chili pepper and saury,” and the extra survivors were Napoli Matfia, Jung Ji-sun and Cooking Maniac
  9. Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Chef Choi Kang-rok’s restaurant closes ↗Neo, near Seokchon Lake in Songpa-gu, Seoul, served a course of dishes to go with drinks (77,000 won). Closed in December; 20,000 people rushed the reservation window within a minute and a month was fully booked. He was then on JTBC’s Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, with an appearance on Blank Menu for You announced
  10. The Fact (Korean) · Netflix’s new variety shows including Blank Menu for You ↗Every Saturday from Feb. 22, hosted by Choi Kang-rok and Moon Sang-hoon
  11. Newsis (Korean) · “Author” Choi Kang-rok lectures at the Seoul International Book Fair ↗Lecture on June 18; introduced his second book, Cooking for Life, after 2023’s Choi Kang-rok’s Cooking Notes; he was 47 then
  12. YTN (Korean) · “It’s me,” season 2 ↗Episodes 1 to 3 released Dec. 16; 13 episodes. Choi Kang-rok and Kim Do-yoon entered round 1 as hidden White Spoons
  13. Ilgan Sports (Korean) · The producer explains the hidden White Spoons ↗13 episodes; the last on Jan. 13 next year. The crew proposed that Choi Kang-rok and Kim Do-yoon be hidden White Spoons, and they were judged by Paik Jong-won and Sung Anh in round 1
  14. TenAsia (Korean) · Into the TOP 7 ↗Episodes 11 and 12 on Jan. 6; episode 13, where the winner is decided, on Jan. 13
  15. Topstar News (Korean) · Behind the win ↗The finale released Jan. 13. Finalist opponent Hasung Lee, a soup with sesame tofu, his words on winning, and that he hid his appearance and win even from family
  16. Woman Chosun (Korean) · End-of-series interview, “It’s me, Choi Kang-rok” ↗What led him to try again as a hidden White Spoon (“burning out completely”), the meaning of the finale dish (sesame tofu and soju), and his plan to spend the prize on a noodle shop for his old age
  17. Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Bestseller ranking up 82 places ↗Third week of January: Cooking for Life at No. 18 overall (up 82 places); 51.4% of buyers men and 48.6% women, 44.1% in their 30s and 23.2% in their 20s. Published last June
  18. Newsis (Korean) · The 300 million won prize arrives late ↗Jung Ho-young said on YouTube that it was paid only after the win was finalized, on a condition against leaking spoilers; reconfirms Choi’s remark that he wants to spend the prize on a noodle shop
  19. TV Guide · Culinary Monster on the Culinary Class Wars season 2 finale ↗Jan. 16, 2026: in the finale, Hasung Lee (Culinary Monster) faced White Spoon Chef Choi Kang-rok, and both judges, Sung Anh and Paik Jong-won, voted for Choi’s dish and crowned him the winner of Culinary Class Wars season 2

Fact-checked: 2026.09.28 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.