Having lived in Korea for the last 7 years, I must comment that a lot of the side dishes offered by the Koreans are covered in chili sauce. Many of their main dishes are also infused with chili paste or sauce. The high quantity of capsaicin in the local food seems to be the main reason for the occurrence of intestinal cancer here. Also, because many of the local vegetables are preserved in salt, this can also contribute to intestinal cancer. One of the local standard medical tests for health insurance, contains a section for the testing of intestinal cancer.

In the American Journal of Epidemiology (Vol. 139, No. 3: 263-271) the following reasearch paper was published Chili Pepper Consumption and Gastric Cancer in Mexico: A Case-Control Study - Laboratory studies indicate that capsaicin, the hot-tasting component of chili peppers, may be carcinogenic. A population-based case-control study was conducted in Mexico City during 1989–1990 to evaluate the relation between chili pepper consumption and gastric cancer risk. The study included 220 incident cases and 752 controls randomly selected from the general population. ... Chilipepper consumers were at high risk for gastric cancer compared with nonconsumers...

And in the European Journal for Cancer Prevention (2000 Apr;9[2]:89-97) the next paper was published: Diet and stomach cancer: a case-control study in South India - A prospective case-control study was conducted in Trivandrum, India, to evaluate the dietary risk factors for stomach cancer. ... Risk was high for those consuming spicy food, high consumption of chili and consumption of high-temperature food.

The Medicina (Kaunas) journal (2006;42[2]:164-70) published the paper: Salt-preserved foods and risk of gastric cancer - Gastric cancer is one of the main health issues in Lithuania. The risk factors of the disease are related to nutrition and environment. ... After adjustments for other dietary habits and smoking, alcohol consumption, family history on cancer, education level, and residence, higher risk of gastric cancer was found for those using salt additionally to prepared meal or those who liked salty food. ... In conclusion, higher risk of gastric cancer is found for people that like salty food, salt-preserved meat as well as fish.

As to the beneficial effects of sauerkraut/kimchi, www.sauerkraut.com notes the following:
1. Sauerkraut as immune booster - ...Packed with vitamins andminerals, sauerkraut has been used as a lay immune booster for centuries. Sauerkraut contains phytochemicals which are created during the fermentation process. These naturally occurring, beneficial by products of sauerkraut help boost the immune system which leads to a decrease in a number of health problems. The common cold, skin problems, weight gain and tainted blood are all fixed by a healthy functioning immune system.

2. Sauerkraut as cancer fighter - ...The results of a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry concluded that sauerkraut is a cancer inhibitor. The study discovered that the fermentation of cabbage produced a substance called isothiocynates, which prevents cancer growth, particularly in the breast, colon, lung and liver. Although raw cabbage is normally rich in a compound called glucosinolate, the researchers found that during the fermentation process enzymes are released that completely decompose the compound into several breakdown products. The majority of these products are cancer-fighting isothiocyanates. The University of New Mexico published a study linking sauerkraut consumption by adolescent females to a reduced risk for breast cancer earlier studies indicate sauerkraut may reduce the risk for other forms of cancer including lung, colon, prostate, and liver We are finding that fermented cabbage could be healthier than raw or cooked cabbage, especially for fighting cancer, says Eeva-Liisa Ryhanen, Ph.D., research manager of MTT Agrifood Research Finland, located in Jokioinen, Finland. A recent study by the American Center for Cancer Research has found that sauerkraut has a profound effect in preventing and healing breast cancer. Based on reports that breast cancer rates amongst polish women in the United States were much higher than those in Poland researchers set out to find out why. Their answer; the women who still lived in Poland ate significantly larger amounts of sauerkraut especially important while they were in adolescence. The research found that the women who immigrated Americanized' their diets and stopped eating as much of the super food that is sauerkraut thus increasing their rates of breast cancer.

3. Digestive Aid - Eating sauerkraut is a great way to protect the balance of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. Sauerkraut is one of the few foods that contain the bacterium Lactobacilli plantarum. L. planatarum is a very dominant strain of healthful bacteria which helps your digestive system in the following ways: boost the immune system by increasing antibodies that fight infectious disease help inhibit pathogenic organisms including E.coli, salmonella and unhealthy overgrowth of candida (yeast) create antioxidants (glutathione and superoxide dismustase) that scavenge free radicals which are a cancer precursor transforms hard-to-digest lactose from milk to the more easily digested lactic acid. It neutralizes the antinutrients found in many foods including the phytic acid found in all grains and the trypsin-inhibitors in soy generates new nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, digestive aids and the trace mineral GTF chromium. These various properties are the best scientific reasons given for what has been known by loyal users for millennia, sauerkraut cures an upset stomach and is the best natural physic there is. Many sources say raw fermented foods are beneficial to the digestive system by increasing the healthy flora in the intestinal tract or creating the type of environment for them to flourish. Sauerkraut and its juice are traditional folk remedies for constipation. Fermentation actually increases nutrient values in the cabbage, especially vitamin C. Fermented foods are also said to facilitate the breakdown and assimilation of proteins. They have a soothing effect on the nervous system. The benefits of sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice have been recognized for generations. In some families of southern Germany, the children are fed raw sauerkraut twice weekly to support their intestines. Today it is thought that these benefits may relate to a high proportion of lactic acid in sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice that naturally supports the digestive processes, maintain intestinal flora, and increase the feeling of well-being.

4. Flu Fighter - With the spread of Avian Flu spreading across the globe, one enterprising Korean scientist, Kang Sa-Ouk of Seoul National University, took 13 chickens infected with avian flu virus and a couple of other diseases, fed them Kim chi extract and found that 11 of the birds recovered. Experts think the vital bacteria are created during the fermenting process and this gives the dish its health-boosting qualities.

In conclusion, we make our own kimchi regularly, as it acts as an appetizer and aids in the digestion of the food that we eat. I must emphasize, that I make my kimchi without adding any chili pepper.