0
Kim Dong-seon, President and Head of Future Strategy at Hanwha Machinery & Service Holdings (Hanwha M&S). /Hanwha M&S

Kim Dong-seon, president and head of future strategy at Hanwha Machinery & Service Holdings (Hanwha M&S), is expanding his fine-dining business into Japanese cuisine. Hanwha Foodtech, the restaurant subsidiary of Hanwha Hotels & Resorts, plans to add a Japanese kaiseki brand to its fine-dining platform, THE PLAZA DINING. With Japanese cuisine joining its existing Korean, Chinese and Western offerings, the company aims to expand its portfolio and strengthen its presence in the premium dining market.

According to Hanwha Hotels & Resorts on Nov. 12, Hanwha Foodtech plans to introduce a Japanese kaiseki brand called "Kirameki" at THE PLAZA DINING. The Japanese brand will join the existing Korean restaurant ASADAL, Chinese restaurant TAOYUEN·S and Western restaurant PAVLO GRILL&BAR. Kaiseki is a traditional Japanese multi-course meal featuring seasonal ingredients, with dishes served in sequence. The specific opening date and location have not yet been disclosed.

THE PLAZA DINING is located on the 15th floor of the KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno District, Seoul. Covering approximately 1,486 square meters, it has 232 seats and 13 private dining rooms. Most seats offer views of Gyeongbokgung Palace, Cheong Wa Dae, Bugaksan Mountain and Gwanghwamun Square.

Kim also has previous experience operating Japanese restaurants. Around 2019, when he had temporarily stepped away from frontline management at Hanwha Group, he opened several establishments in Wassenberg, Germany, including the Japanese restaurant Das Shabu, the Chinese restaurant Das Wok and the club lounge Das Azit. In 2021, he opened Sugimoto, a sushi omakase restaurant, in Sogyeok-dong, Jongno District, Seoul. Sugimoto won an award in the interior design category at the 2022 iF Design Awards, and its operating rights were transferred to another operator in July 2024.

Kim is also expanding his premium dining business following his venture into casual dining. After introducing the U.S. hamburger chain Five Guys to South Korea in June 2023, he launched THE PLAZA DINING, a fine-dining platform, through Hanwha Foodtech in April this year. The addition of Kirameki is seen as another move to broaden his high-end restaurant business.

		0
A view of the KT Gwanghwamun West building (left) and the trademark application for "Kirameki" filed by Hanwha Foodtech with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, as shown on KIPRIS. /KT·KIPRIS

		0
A screenshot from THE PLAZA DINING's official Instagram account.

                                                                                                          Lee Chang-yeon