The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 31, he opened Jungsikdang, a fusion Korean restaurant, in Sinsa-dong, Seoul. That April, Dong-A Ilbo profiled him as a cook drawing attention from gourmets.
Segye Ilbo profiled him as a cook nicknamed the “Apgujeong idol,” and he said he planned to go to New York that March to prepare a restaurant. He opened Jungsik in Tribeca, New York. The New York Times ran a major piece on the restaurant before it opened. A year after opening, Jungsik won one star in the Michelin Guide New York. The year he turned 35, he received two Michelin stars, the first for a Korean chef.
Jungsikdang was selected for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for the first time, at No. 20. It ranked No. 10 on the same list. It dropped to No. 22, and in November the Michelin Guide Seoul 2017 gave Jungsikdang one star.
Jungsikdang ranked No. 25 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, and in November the Michelin Guide Seoul 2018 raised it to two stars. He opened Pyeonghwaok, serving gomtang and Pyongyang naengmyeon, in Incheon Airport Terminal 2.
He was one of 10 chefs in the contactless Seoul Gourmet Week. Jungsikdang kept its two stars in the Michelin Guide Seoul 2022. He put gomtang on Coupang and a Korean beef striploin steak on Lotte Home Shopping. Herald Business reports that Jungsik in New York posted record results in 2022 and 2023. He opened Gomtang Lab in Sinsa-dong, and in December Jungsik in New York became the first Korean restaurant in the U.S. with three Michelin stars, 15 years after he opened Jungsikdang in Seoul.
In June he won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef, and in September Jungsik ranked No. 35 on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants. Gomtang Lab was selected for the Michelin Bib Gourmand again, and in September Gomtang LAB moved into Hyundai Department Store Trade Center.
Jungsik Yim (born 1978) became known when he opened Jungsikdang in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, in Feb 2009, the year he turned 31. With Jungsik in New York, he won two Michelin stars in 2013, the year he turned 35, and three in 2024, the year he turned 46.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
02 / QUICK ANSWERS
Q & AFrequently asked
- How old was Jungsik Yim when he opened Jungsikdang?
- He opened the fusion Korean restaurant Jungsikdang in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, in Feb 2009, the year he turned 31. Some articles give 2008 as the opening year, but reports from 2009 say it opened early that year.
- How old was Jungsik Yim when he became famous?
- He opened Jungsikdang in 2009, the year he turned 31, and Segye Ilbo reported the following year that it became well known through bloggers’ word of mouth alone. In the U.S., Jungsik in New York won two Michelin stars in 2013, the year he turned 35, the first for a Korean chef.
- How old was Jungsik Yim when he won Michelin stars?
- Jungsik in New York won one star in 2012, the year he turned 34, and two in 2013, the year he turned 35. It won three stars on Dec 9, 2024, the year he turned 46, the first Korean restaurant in the U.S. to do so.
- How many Michelin stars does Jungsik Yim have?
- Herald Business (July 5, 2026) calls him a five-Michelin-star chef, counting three stars for Jungsik in New York and two for Jungsikdang in Seoul. Jungsikdang rose to two stars in the Michelin Guide Seoul 2018, in 2017, the year he turned 39.
- How old is Jungsik Yim?
- Born in 1978, he turns 48 in 2026. His exact birthday has not been confirmed, so as of Oct 3, 2026 he is 47 or 48.