Park Jimin had just started her teaching career when she decided to become a vegan in April 2009. Vegans don't eat or use animal products such as meat, milk, eggs, honey, leather or wool—but as an elementary school teacher, she was expected to eat the lunch the school provided. Just a month into her new job, she had to explain her decision to the principal, the other teachers and the students.

Although health was Park’s initial reason for changing her diet, she was also concerned about animal exploitation and the environmental impact of animal agriculture. Patiently, she told her colleagues why she would be bringing her own lunch from now on. When students asked, she referred them to an MBC program featuring vegans and their personal stories. Her candid approach led a few parents to look into veganism, and she has never experienced any problems or complaints at work.

As a member of the online community Hanulvut, Park finds it easy to meet like-minded people. The site has more than 27,000 members—vegans, people working toward veganism, and others just seeking information. Members often get together to socialize at vegan restaurants such as Loving Hut, which has 28 locations around the country. When I met Park at the Achasan branch in Seoul, she introduced me to a vegan couple with their own organic farm and a journalist who covers the benefits of a plant-based diet for a Korean wellness publication.

Many Koreans are becoming interested in veganism as health issues get more media exposure, Park said. But Hanulvut has a broader focus, with most of its members eventually becoming conscious of animal rights and environmental concerns too. The name Hanulvut means "all friends"—that friendship, she said, extends beyond humans to other animals and the Earth.

Kim So Youn also notices a trend toward greater interest in veganism. As a full-time volunteer for the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, the meditation group that operates the Loving Hut chain, Kim has been vegan for about a year. It was Supreme Master Ching Hai who influenced her and the group's other members to stop using dairy products, mainly for moral reasons. Like Hanulvut, though, the association is concerned with human health and the environment in addition to animal rights.

Kim makes frequent trips to the group's Taiwanese headquarters and has also visited its meditation center in France. Supreme Master Ching Hai has helped veganism catch on in many countries, she said—for example, the center in Seoul has several Mongolian members.

Recently Kim began marketing vegan products to other members of Hanulvut. She imports hard-to-find items such as vegan toothpaste, cosmetics, lip balm and nutritional supplements—even supplements for vegan dogs and cats. Some of these products were already available through online stores such as VeganEssentials, but customers can save on shipping and support a local vegan business by buying from her. Kim just purchased the domain www.veganshop.co.kr and her new site will be up and running soon. In the meantime, interested people are welcome to contact her at luckylight02 [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] kr with inquiries in Korean or English.