Maangchi was born in Korea and lived there most of her life. She learned how to make traditional Korean food from the people around her: her mother, her grandmothers, her aunts and relatives, as well as cooks in local markets, restaurants, pubs, and street corners. Her passion for cooking is on full display on YouTube, where her videos on Korean cooking are regularly watched by millions of people around the world and praised for their authenticity and deliciousness. Her website, maangchi.com, has become the #1 online destination for Korean food and cooking, allowing a whole new generation to discover Korean cuisine with clarity and confidence. She currently lives in New York City where she spends her time cooking, eating, refining recipes for maangchi.com, shooting and editing YouTube videos, and encouraging a burgeoning worldwide community of Korean food lovers to cook Korean food at home.