Mr. Lee sees potential in "alternative" Norwegian sea food.

Mr.Lee sells "non-food" to Koreans
Text: Christian Thorkildsen, Ida Aamodt-Hansen, Aftenposten
Photo: Svein Erik Furulund
Published: 06.08.08 21:04, Updated: 07.08.08 14:51

With a Korean TV-team following him, the "Noodle king" Mr. Lee is working on selling Norwegian seagull-food to the Korean people.
- The water temperature in the Tromsø-area is very suitable, so we will grow a lot of sea weed and sea tangle in Norway. And sea cucumber, says Chui Hoi Lee.

- Norwegians throw away too much good sea food. Two thirds of all the Norwegian fish being fished is thrown out again. I want to try to send that fish to the people in the East, because we love that kind of food! King snails, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, crabs and scampi that Norwegians don't appreciate too much - is very much appreciated in the East, says Chul Hol Lee, better known in Norway as Mr. Lee.

- The fishermen can get their money back, because I have lots of buyers "down there", he adds.

He has a clear recommendation for the Norwegian Seafood business:
- They can forget about the EU. Two thirds of the world's population lives in the East, so it's a much bigger market there, says Lee.

INSPIRES
A team from the South Korean TV-channel MBC follows Lee closely these days, all over Norway.

- They are going to make a documentary on me, on my stay in Norway, the 50 years I have been here, what I have learned and so on. They have followed me to the museum, library and bookshop to see what has been written about me. It's tiresome. But also fun that people appreciate what I have done until now, says Lee.

TV host Grace Choi from MBC says Lee inspires Koreans in may ways.
- When he came here he had nothing. He didn't speak Norwegian, not even English. But look at him now. It's amazing! she says.