While I was waiting for my bibimbap at H Mart, I noticed they sell refrigerators. Not ordinary refrigerators: LG brand kimchi refrigerators. I thought this might have something to do with making kimchi, but the technology turns out to be a lot more practical, according to this article:

> If you’ve got kimchi in your fridge, it’s hard to keep it a secret. Kimchi, made from fermented cabbage seasoned with garlic and chili, is served with most meals in Korea, but when it’s stored inside a normal refrigerator, its pungent odor taints nearby foods. That’s why, two decades ago, South Korean appliance manufacturer LG Electronics introduced the kimchi refrigerator, a product specifically designed to address the odor problem. Featuring a dedicated compartment that isolates smelly kimchi from other foods, the fridge gradually became a must-have in Korean homes, inspiring rivals such as Samsung to offer similar models. Kimchi refrigerators have become a fixture in 65 percent of Korean homes[.]

(They do also have a kimchi ripening function.)

But if you lock your kimchi away in a hermetically sealed compartment, is that really love? Perhaps not:

> South Korea’s struggling kimchi refrigerator industry is set to undergo a sweeping restructuring phase after market leader WiniaMando’s recent victory in a key patent lawsuit, industry watchers said.