The Birth of Imsil Cheese with Father Didier Serstevens

• 1964 Appointed as parish priest of Imsil Catholic Church
• 1966 Established the Goat Farming Cooperative
• 1967 Successfully developed Imsil Cheese
• 1968 Built the Imsil Cheese Aging Cave
• 1970 Successfully developed Cheddar Cheese
• 1972 Began supplying cheese to the Chosun Hotel
• 1986 Imsil Cheese Factory relocated and newly built (Seonggari → Galmari, Imsil-eup)
• 2019 Construction of the second Imsil Cheese Factory; Father Didier passed away and was posthumously awarded the Order of Civil Merit, Moran Medal

The Origin of Korea’s First Cheese

Father Didier Serstevens was ordained as a priest in 1958 and came to Korea the following year, in 1959. Appointed as the parish priest of Imsil Catholic Church in 1964, Father Didier planned to produce cheese as a way to help local farmers who were struggling with poverty and even found it difficult to make a living through farming.

When producing cheese proved more difficult than expected, Father Didier traveled to Europe to learn traditional cheesemaking techniques directly from local artisans and brought the knowledge back to Korea. In 1968, he established the Imsil Cheese Factory and operated it with local residents while serving as a rural pastoral priest. In 1983, he left Korea for one year to receive treatment for multiple sclerosis.

After returning to Korea in 1984, Father Didier established the Rainbow House, a rehabilitation center for people with severe disabilities in Wanju, Jeollabuk-do, and devoted himself to supporting people with disabilities. In 2009, he founded the Rainbow Scholarship Foundation and continued his work for the disabled. In recognition of his dedication and contributions, the Korean government granted him Korean citizenship in 2016.

In September of the same year, he received the Industrial Service Medal, a Presidential Commendation, in recognition of his contribution to revitalizing the local economy of Imsil by establishing Korea’s first cheese factory. He frequently visited Imsil Cheese Theme Park, the venue of the festival, where he met and communicated with visitors. In interviews, he famously said, “I did not do it for anyone. I simply did it together with them.” Following his passing in April 2019, he was posthumously awarded the Order of Civil Merit, Moran Medal, by the Korean government. His favorite Korean song was “Meeting” by Noh Sa-yeon.