How did a Korean dumpling beat a 25-year American champion to become the best-selling frozen dumpling in the United States? And what does it have to do with a sugar refinery Samsung built in the 1950s?

In this episode of The Story Real Korea, we tell the story of CJ CheilJedang and Bibigo — from its roots as Samsung's very first manufacturing business, to spinning off on its own, to launching Bibigo around 2010 and turning "mandu" into a word American shoppers actually say. We cover the Costco phenomenon, the $1.8 billion Schwan's deal, the Parasite "ram-don" moment that put Korean food on Oscar night, and how CJ's overseas food sales overtook its domestic business.

It's the story of how a humble dumpling rode the K-food wave straight into the American freezer aisle.

In this episode: • The Samsung sugar-refinery origin • Spinning off into CJ • Bibigo and the "mandu" naming push • Conquering Costco & the Schwan's deal • Parasite, ram-don & the K-food wave

New to the show? The Story Real Korea tells the true, surprising stories behind Korea's most iconic companies, brands, and cultural exports.

— Hosted by Jacob Lee Independent, unofficial production. Not affiliated with, authorized, or endorsed by CJ CheilJedang, Bibigo, or any company mentioned. All facts drawn from publicly available sources.