[1] Records of kongnamul cultivation are found in an early 13th century medical book, Emergency Folk Medicine Remedies, published in Goryeo.

The book states that in 935, during the foundation of Goryeo, a Taebong general, Bae Hyeon-gyeong, offered soybean sprouts to starving soldiers.

According to Complete Works of Cheongjanggwan, an essay collection from the Joseon era, soybean sprout was one of the main foods consumed during times of famine.

In contemporary South Korea, a spicy pork bulgogi dish made with a large number of soybean sprouts, called kongnamul-bulgogi (or kongbul), is popular among young people.

In Nepalese cuisine, kwati, a soup of nine types of sprouted beans, is specially prepared in the festival of Janai Purnima which normally falls in August.