If K-pop has BTS, K-chicken has bhc, BBQ, and Kyochon. Korean fried chicken has quietly become one of the country’s most successful cultural exports, with crispy double-fried wings now served from Los Angeles to Dubai. But what makes K-chicken different? And why are there more chicken shops in Korea than convenience stores?
Let’s break it down.
The secret is in the technique: double-frying. Korean fried chicken is fried once, rested, then fried again. This creates an impossibly thin, shatteringly crispy coating that stays crunchy even after being drenched in sauce—or sitting in a delivery bag for 30 minutes.
While American fried chicken relies on thick, flour-heavy batter, Korean chicken uses a lighter coating (often with potato starch or rice flour) that crisps up without weighing down the meat. The result? Juicy inside, crackling outside.
Then there are the sauces. Korean fried chicken comes glazed, brushed, or tossed in everything from:
You can’t talk about K-chicken without talking about chimaek (치맥)—a portmanteau of “chicken” (치킨) and “maekju” (맥주, beer). It’s not just a food combo; it’s a cultural institution.
The chimaek phenomenon traces back to the 1970s when cooking oil became widely available and draft beer started gaining popularity. But the real explosion came during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Koreans gathered in public squares, dressed in red, cheering for their team—with fried chicken in one hand and beer in the other. The number of chicken restaurants doubled from 10,000 to 25,000 after that summer.
Chimaek went global when K-dramas exported the ritual worldwide. In My Love from the Star (2013), actress Jun Ji-hyun’s character famously declares that snowy days are perfect for chimaek. Chinese fans went crazy—some reportedly waited three hours at Korean chicken restaurants in Shanghai just to recreate the scene.
Today, chimaek is synonymous with:
There’s even an annual Daegu Chimaek Festival that draws over a million visitors each summer.
Korea’s chicken franchise market is a battlefield. As of 2024, there are 647 chicken brands operating in the country. But three names dominate the conversation:
Revenue (2024): ₩512.7 billion ($370M) Stores in Korea: 2,228 Signature Menu: Bburinkle (sweet garlic seasoning powder), Matcho King
bhc has held the #1 revenue spot since 2022, though growth has slowed recently. Known for aggressive marketing and signature seasoning powders you shake onto your chicken, bhc is the current king—but competitors are closing in fast.
Revenue (2024): ₩503.2 billion ($364M) Stores in Korea: 2,316 (most of any brand) Signature Menu: Golden Olive Chicken, Hwanggeum Olive
BBQ—short for “Best of the Best Quality”—is the only Big Three brand that grew revenue in 2024. It’s also the most internationally ambitious, with 700+ stores across 57 countries. The company recently announced a major push into Europe with a new headquarters in Spain and signed a master franchise deal covering eight regions in China.
Fun fact: BBQ operates Korea’s only “Chicken University” where franchisees learn the art of frying.
Revenue (2024): ₩480.8 billion ($348M) Stores in Korea: 1,361 Signature Menu: Honey Series, Red Series
Once the undisputed champion, Kyochon slipped to third place in 2023 after controversial price hikes. But it’s fighting back with celebrity endorsements (actor Byun Woo-seok is their current face) and premium positioning. Kyochon is known for hand-brushed sauces and a more refined, less greasy taste.
Behind the Big Three, several brands are making noise:
Here’s the less glamorous side of K-chicken: the market is brutally saturated.
As of 2024, Korea has 31,397 franchise chicken stores—breaking 30,000 for the first time. That’s roughly one chicken shop for every 1,650 people. Add in non-franchise independent shops, and the total exceeds 39,000.
The numbers tell a sobering story:
In 2023, the industry’s opening rate (13.6%) nearly matched its closure rate (12.1%). For every new shop that opens, another closes. It’s a zero-sum game.
Why does this happen? Chicken franchises are seen as the “safe” option for Korean retirees looking for a second career. Low startup costs (around ₩50 million / $36,000) and perceived simplicity attract waves of new entrepreneurs—even as existing owners struggle.
The headquarters often profit from selling ingredients to franchisees at marked-up prices. Some analysts have noted that brands with higher HQ profit margins tend to have higher franchisee closure rates—a tension that’s increasingly coming under scrutiny.
Korean chicken franchises operate on a model where headquarters make money primarily through ingredient distribution rather than royalties. This creates interesting dynamics:
What franchisees get:
What franchisees pay:
The ingredient markup—called “차액가맹금” (distribution margin)—is where conflicts arise. When chicken wing prices spike globally, HQ can absorb the cost or pass it to franchisees. Most pass it on.
Recent controversies have included:
Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has been tightening regulations, requiring more transparency in ingredient pricing and giving franchisees more negotiating power.
With domestic saturation, major brands are betting big on international expansion.
BBQ claims the widest footprint: 57 countries with 700+ international locations. Recent moves include:
bhc is the most aggressive recent mover:
Though smaller in Korea, Bonchon has become synonymous with K-chicken in the U.S.:
Kyochon has been more cautious internationally but is now accelerating:
If you’re visiting Seoul, here are some essential experiences:
For the full chimaek experience:
For Han River vibes:
For festival energy:
For late-night adventures:
K-chicken is more than fried poultry. It’s a ₩8.7 trillion ($6.3B) industry, a cultural ritual, and an increasingly global phenomenon. The double-fried crunch, the sweet-spicy glazes, the cold beer pairing—it all adds up to something distinctly Korean.
But behind the crispy exterior lies a complicated industry: saturated at home, expanding abroad, caught between franchise dreams and harsh economics. The same brands delighting customers in New York and Dubai are navigating fierce competition and thin margins back in Seoul.
Still, if you haven’t tried proper Korean fried chicken yet, you’re missing one of the great pleasures of modern Korean culture. Find your nearest K-chicken spot, order a plate of yangnyeom, crack open a cold beer, and understand why 52 million Koreans can’t get enough.
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