20 September 2024
If it’s true the best chefs put themselves on the plate, then Leading Seaman Jun Byungchun Kwon’s Korean fried chicken must have some stories to tell.
The chef’s passion for creating dishes that fuse Asian and Western flavours has grown from a lifetime of experiences that have taken him from junior judo mats in South Korea to Navy kitchens in Australia.
Leading Seaman Kwon joined Navy in 2019, where, inspired by South Korean celebrity chef Baek Jong-won, he has built his cooking repertoire around signature ingredients such as Korean chilli paste (gochujang).
The job has given him opportunities and stability he could only have imagined as a 12-year-old boy forced to endure harsh training at a South Korean sports school, where his educational advancement was tied to his success in judo.
Having been selected for the school, he had no choice but to attend – “my dad pushed me” – and he found himself in a punishing regime of training four times a day, every day, no Christmas, no New Year's Day.
“You cannot go anywhere. You cannot run away,” he said.
He won his first gold medal at 14, which allowed him to transition from middle to high school, and then won the national championship, which helped him advance to university.
“There was no guarantee from middle school to high school without that gold medal,” Leading Seaman Kwon said.
'I came to Australia for a holiday and loved the Australian atmosphere and that people were smiling.'
He was the judo national champion in South Korea, but his journey was far from over.
At university, he was disqualified from competing for three years following a dispute with referees. The disqualification derailed his plans to become a professional judoka.
Leading Seaman Kwon then completed his compulsory military service in South Korea, where he served at a tank base for two years, handling ammunition supply as a truck driver.
Fast forward two years, he moved to Australia after falling in love with the culture and lifestyle.
“I came to Australia for a holiday and loved the Australian atmosphere and that people were smiling,” Leading Seaman Kwon said.
“I tried to find only the daytime work, like working the cafe or cafeteria in [a] hospital.”
He joined a local judo club and quickly got involved in training and competitions, all while working as a chef on the side.
“I couldn’t speak much English, but I just went and got involved in judo. They were very friendly and helped me,” Leading Seaman Kwon said.
'Being a chef in the Navy allowed me to combine my skills with a stable career.'
Despite the language barrier, he became the Australian National Judo Champion in both 2010 and 2011.
Soon after, one of his friends got him involved in sumo wrestling, where he achieved gold medals in his weight categories.
In 2011, he was invited on The Footy Show to demonstrate his wrestling, which earned him “a couple of bucks”.
Leading Seaman Kwon initially tried for the 2012 Olympics, but was delayed in gaining citizenship. So, he continued to juggle his passion for cooking and judo.
His decision to join Navy was a fortuitous accident that coincided with he and his family having already moved to Canberra.
“Being a chef outside cannot compare with the Navy – not just the money, but the values and less stress,” Leading Seaman Kwon said.
It has also enabled him to continue his sporting pursuits.
“Being a chef in the Navy allowed me to combine my skills with a stable career,” he said.
Due to an injury, he hasn’t been able to participate in judo so far but plans to represent the ADF in the future.
