A few things come to mind. First, South Korea has low obesity on the global scale (BMI >= 30 kg/m2) but within the country [1] they use an "Asia-Pacific" scale for the definition which starts at BMI of 25. [2] So, from the Korean perspective, they have substantial obesity.
Second, I do not know whether there are some Korean diets that are more correlated with obesity. In Thailand, people eat much the same, and they are more often obese on the global scale. Less kimchi, though, and probably more coconut milk and sugar.
Simple diet composition is probably not the main factor in obesity. I do notice that "normal" portion sizes are pretty small in Korea, based on what I see in their media. Even feasts are shown to have reasonable portion sizes. In the US, portion sizes tend to maximally fill the stomach, and have grown considerably over the years.
Highly processed foods are generally designed to add addictive properties and cause overconsumption. I am not sure that's the goal of the Korean dishes you have tried. If we understand what the new weight loss drugs are telling us, we can see that increasing satiety faster with fewer calories should be the goal of our foods. (no citation, just my interpretation of what's going on).
Second, I do not know whether there are some Korean diets that are more correlated with obesity. In Thailand, people eat much the same, and they are more often obese on the global scale. Less kimchi, though, and probably more coconut milk and sugar.
Simple diet composition is probably not the main factor in obesity. I do notice that "normal" portion sizes are pretty small in Korea, based on what I see in their media. Even feasts are shown to have reasonable portion sizes. In the US, portion sizes tend to maximally fill the stomach, and have grown considerably over the years.
Highly processed foods are generally designed to add addictive properties and cause overconsumption. I am not sure that's the goal of the Korean dishes you have tried. If we understand what the new weight loss drugs are telling us, we can see that increasing satiety faster with fewer calories should be the goal of our foods. (no citation, just my interpretation of what's going on).
1. https://general.kosso.or.kr/html/user/core/view/reaction/mai... 2. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/2/373