Around 1966, he lost his father in a traffic accident. After his father, an overseas Chinese with Taiwanese nationality, died, his mother made a living selling makgeolli. In 1975, the year he turned 15, he graduated from middle school and began cooking as a kitchen helper at a Chinese restaurant in Seoul. Around 1979, he learned cooking from his master, Heo In, at the Chinese restaurant Geomok. His younger brother Yeo Kyung-ok joined the same kitchen afterward.
From 1995, he worked at Tower Hotel. In 2002, he won a silver medal in the individual event at the Malaysia international cooking competition. In 2007, he became chef of Hongbogak at Grand Ambassador Seoul. In 2008, he became an international judge of the World Chinese Chefs Association.
In 2014, he became president of the Korea Chinese Cuisine Association. In 2015, he appeared on tvN’s Wednesday Food Talk and SBS Plus’s Ganghodaegyeol Junghwa Daebanjeom. On Wednesday Food Talk he heard that his younger brother Yeo Kyung-ok was better known.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 58, he appeared on tvN’s Soomi’s Side Dishes as an original disciple. University News Network wrote that he became known to the public through cooking shows such as this.
In 2019, he was introduced on Geunyeodeul-ui Yeoyu Manman as one of China’s 100 master chefs. In 2020, he appeared in the Soomi’s Side Dishes 100th-episode special and met his master Heo In again on TV Is Loaded with Love after more than 40 years. In 2021, he became an endowed professor at Seoul Digital University, and his mother died. In 2022, his younger brother Yeo Kyung-ok also became an endowed professor at the same university.
In 2023, he talked about his poor upbringing on MBN’s Teukjong Sesang.
In September 2024, the year he turned 64, he appeared as a White Spoon in Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars and was eliminated in his first match against a Black Spoon, the “Self-Made Chef.” He said on air that because his nationality is Taiwanese the reaction in Taiwan was large.
In 2025, he judged the team match in Culinary Class Wars 2 as a season 1 cast member. In 2026, he visited his disciple Park Eun-young’s restaurant and talked about the possibility of entering Culinary Class Wars 3, and released a Shanghai gourmet tour product with Hanjin Tour.
Yeo Kyung-lae (born Jul 4, 1960) started cooking at a Chinese restaurant in Seoul in 1975, the year he turned 15, and became known through cooking shows such as tvN’s Soomi’s Side Dishes in 2018, the year he turned 58. On Sep 17, 2024, the year he turned 64, he appeared as a White Spoon in Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars. He is an overseas Chinese born and raised in Korea, with Taiwanese nationality.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
He lost his father in a traffic accident. His father was an overseas Chinese with Taiwanese nationality. After that the family’s circumstances became hard, and his mother made a living selling makgeolli.
Source 01 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · MBN’s Teukjong Sesang · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Reunion with his master on TV Is Loaded with Love · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Sports Today (Korean) · TV Is Loaded with Love · opens in a new tabAfter graduating from middle school, because of his family’s circumstances, he took a job as a kitchen helper at a Chinese restaurant in Seoul and began cooking.
Source 02 · CNB Journal (Korean) · Seodaemun District guest lecture · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Etoday (Korean) · In Search of Distribution Masters · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · MBN’s Teukjong Sesang · opens in a new tab Articles differ on the age he started cooking: 15 (CNB Journal) and moving to Seoul at 17 (Sports Today). The year 1975 follows Etoday and CNB Journal.He joined Geomok as the youngest in the kitchen and learned cooking from his master, Heo In. His younger brother Yeo Kyung-ok joined the same kitchen afterward.
Source 04 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Reunion with his master on TV Is Loaded with Love · opens in a new tabHe began working at Tower Hotel.
Source 03 · Etoday (Korean) · In Search of Distribution Masters · opens in a new tabHe won a silver medal in the individual event of an international cooking competition.
Source 06 · Bridge Economy (Korean) · Yeo Kyung-lae in the news · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Gukje News (Korean) · Profile on Achim Madang · opens in a new tabSource 08 · Korea Lecturer News (Korean) · EBS’s Paranmanjang · opens in a new tabWhile working at Tower Hotel he became acquainted with the chairman of the Ambassador hotel group and became chef of the Chinese restaurant Hongbogak.
Source 03 · Etoday (Korean) · In Search of Distribution Masters · opens in a new tabHe served as a judge at international cooking competitions.
Source 07 · Gukje News (Korean) · Profile on Achim Madang · opens in a new tabSource 08 · Korea Lecturer News (Korean) · EBS’s Paranmanjang · opens in a new tabHe became president of the Korea Chinese Cuisine Association. Later articles also call it the Korea Chinese Cooking Federation.
Source 07 · Gukje News (Korean) · Profile on Achim Madang · opens in a new tabSource 24 · OSEN (Korean) · Appa Hago Na Hago · opens in a new tabIn an episode on sweet and sour pork he explained Chinese cuisine. When he was introduced as one of two chef brothers with his younger brother Yeo Kyung-ok, the food columnist Hwang Gyo-ik said his younger brother was better known.
Source 09 · TV Report (Korean) · Wednesday Food Talk · opens in a new tabHe appeared in the Chinese chef competition with Lee Yeon-bok, Yu Bang-nyeong and Jin Saeng-yong, among others.
Source 10 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Ganghodaegyeol Junghwa Daebanjeom · opens in a new tabSource 17 · OSEN (Korean) · Culinary Class Wars exclusive interview · opens in a new tab The run of the show is from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.He appeared at the press conference as a cooking disciple of Kim Soo-mi, together with Choi Hyun-seok and Michael. He later appeared as an original disciple. University News Network wrote that he became known to the public through cooking shows such as Ganghodaegyeol Junghwa Daebanjeom and Soomi’s Side Dishes.
He was introduced as one of China’s 100 master chefs.
Source 13 · Saejeonbuk Shinmun (Korean) · Geunyeodeul-ui Yeoyu Manman · opens in a new tabHe gathered again as an original disciple with Choi Hyun-seok and Michael.
Source 12 · Newstomato (Korean) · Soomi’s Side Dishes 100th-episode special · opens in a new tabAfter visiting places he lived as a child, including Maesan Market in Suwon, he met his master Heo In after more than 40 years.
Source 04 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Reunion with his master on TV Is Loaded with Love · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Sports Today (Korean) · TV Is Loaded with Love · opens in a new tabFrom the second semester of 2021 he taught in the Food Service Culinary Management major and the Chinese Studies department.
Source 14 · University News Network (Korean) · Endowed professor at Seoul Digital University · opens in a new tabHis mother died.
Source 15 · Electronic Times (Korean) · Obituary notice · opens in a new tabHis younger brother Yeo Kyung-ok joined the same university as an endowed professor from the first semester of 2022, making them brother professors.
Source 16 · Veritas Alpha (Korean) · Brother professors · opens in a new tabHe appeared with other chefs on the theme of summer health foods.
Source 07 · Gukje News (Korean) · Profile on Achim Madang · opens in a new tabHe talked about his poor childhood and the circumstances in which he was classed as destitute. His son learning the work at the restaurant also appeared.
Source 01 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · MBN’s Teukjong Sesang · opens in a new tabHe appeared as a White Spoon, introduced as a grand master of Chinese cuisine, and lost 2-0 in a one-on-one match against the Black Spoon “Self-Made Chef” (Lim Tae-hoon), being eliminated in his first match.
Source 19 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Culinary Class Wars schedule announced · opens in a new tabSource 18 · Asia Economy (Korean) · U.S. restaurants closing under the “curse of the star” (mentions the Culinary Class Wars cast) · opens in a new tabSource 20 · OSEN (Korean) · White Spoon vs. Black Spoon elimination · opens in a new tabSource 31 · JTBC (Korean) · Chef Yeo Kyung-lae and his son donate their appearance fees · opens in a new tabSource 22 · Edaily (Korean) · La Liste 2025 · opens in a new tabHe said reservations doubled after the broadcast. He said that his nationality is Taiwanese but that he was born and raised in Korea.
Source 17 · OSEN (Korean) · Culinary Class Wars exclusive interview · opens in a new tabIt was named to the top 1,000 restaurants in the world in La Liste, a gourmet guide run by the French government.
Source 22 · Edaily (Korean) · La Liste 2025 · opens in a new tabHe signed an intellectual property (IP) contract with the convenience-meal company Fresheasy and began collaborating on Chinese dishes.
Source 23 · Shin-A Ilbo (Korean) · IP contract with Fresheasy · opens in a new tabHe said that because his nationality is Taiwanese the reaction in Taiwan was large, and that many people also recognize him in Hong Kong and Macao. He said he had not yet seen Culinary Class Wars.
Source 21 · Xports News (Korean) · Radio Star · opens in a new tabSource 30 · Sports Today (Korean) · Remark on nationality on Radio Star · opens in a new tabHe appeared with his son, who works as deputy head chef at the restaurant, and said that being eliminated in the first round of Culinary Class Wars is embarrassing.
Source 24 · OSEN (Korean) · Appa Hago Na Hago · opens in a new tabHe taught prospective freshmen the basics of Chinese cooking, including how to use XO sauce.
Source 25 · E-Donga (Korean) · Special lecture at Seoul Hoseo College · opens in a new tabAs a season 1 cast member he judged the team match in season 2.
Source 26 · Biz Enter (Korean) · Culinary Class Wars 2 team-match judging · opens in a new tabHe visited the first independent restaurant of his disciple Park Eun-young. The two talked about the possibility of entering Culinary Class Wars 3.
Source 27 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Omniscient Interfering View · opens in a new tabHanjin Tour released a Shanghai gourmet tour product to travel with him.
Source 28 · Hankyung (Korean) · Hanjin Tour Shanghai gourmet tour · opens in a new tabHe took part with chefs from Korea and abroad in a Taiwanese gourmet promotion event held by the Hansung Overseas Chinese Association.
Source 29 · Maeil Ilbo (Korean) · Seodaemun District overseas Chinese community event · opens in a new tabHe looked back on his life in cooking, which began at 15 as a kitchen helper at a Chinese restaurant.
Source 02 · CNB Journal (Korean) · Seodaemun District guest lecture · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1966–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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.
Food · Taiwan
Jul 4, 1960 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1960: the year of the event minus 1960, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.28 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.