About Maangchi
Born 1957. Maangchi is a blogger, youTuber and television producer.
Emily Kim (born 1957), born Kim Kwang-sook and known by her online handle Maangchi , is a South Korean-born American YouTuber and author. She is notable for producing cooking videos centered around Korean cuisine. She was described by The New York Times as "YouTube's Korean Julia Child".
Life Kim was born in Yeosu, South Korea. Her family was involved in the seafood industry, and Kim learned how to cook from her female relatives.
In 2003, she and her husband divorced, and with her two fully-grown children out of the house, Kim started playing MMO City of Heroes using the character name Maangchi, meaning "Hammer" in Korean. After this and up until 2007, Kim worked as a family counselor for a nonprofit organization.
Culinary career Kim was introduced to YouTube's online cooking scene in 2007, inspiring her to begin making videos about Korean food, using the channel name "Maangchi". Her channel quickly grew in popularity, attributed to her upbeat attitude and her strict adherence to traditional Korean recipes. Along with her cooking videos on YouTube, Kim also runs a website at maangchi.com that includes a request section and discussion board for fans, along with additional photos and a podcast.
Prompted by her YouTube channel's success, Kim published her first cookbook in 2015, titled Maangchi's Real Korean Cooking. Her second cookbook named Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking was made with co-author Martha Rose Shulman and published by Rux Martin in 2019. The book discusses recipes alongside how to use certain cooking utensils and a picture guide to Korean ingredients. In March 2018, the South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced it would be collaborating with Kim and her brand to better showcase Korean foods to North American consumers.
, Kim's YouTube channel has 6.52 million subscribers.
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Important facts
People in Maangchi's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Maangchi's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Maangchi?
Korean-American food blogger
When was Maangchi born?
Maangchi was born in 1957.
What is Maangchi's occupation?
Maangchi is a blogger, youTuber and television producer.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Maangchi. https://biography.guide/maangchi/
MLA: "Maangchi." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/maangchi/.
Chicago: "Maangchi." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/maangchi/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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