Half fried, half yangnyeom chicken
Korean Fried Chicken: From Rotisserie Birds to Chimaek, and How to Order
Korea has more than 40,000 chicken shops. From 1960s rotisserie chicken to yangnyeom chicken, chimaek and delivery apps, here is 60 years of history plus a guide to reading the menu.
Why Korea Became the 'Chicken Republic'
Korea has more than 40,000 dedicated chicken shops, and far more if you count pubs and snack bars that also sell it. Per capita, that is among the highest in the world, hence the nickname 'Chicken Republic'. Chicken is also the number-one delivery order year after year. Several factors overlap. Chicken is cheaper and faster to raise than beef or pork, making it the everyday protein; mass production of cooking oil in the 1970s opened the door to deep-frying; and from the 1990s retirees flocked to low-barrier chicken franchises, putting a shop on every block. Fierce competition kept pushing flavor and variety, which is how Korean fried chicken got to where it is today.
1960s-70s: Rotisserie Chicken and the First Franchise
Korean chicken began with roasting, not frying. Myeongdong Yeongyang Center, opened in Seoul in 1960, sold whole chickens skewered and spun in electric ovens — the top dining-out treat of the era. A father coming home on payday with a rotisserie chicken in a yellow paper bag is a shared memory for Koreans. When domestic cooking oil went into mass production in 1971, whole chickens deep-fried at traditional markets — 'sijang tongdak' — spread nationwide. In 1977 Lim's Chicken, the country's first chicken franchise, opened in the basement of Shinsegae Department Store selling chicken by the piece, and KFC's 1984 arrival in Jongno introduced Western-style fried chicken in earnest.
1980s: The Invention of Yangnyeom Chicken
What sets Korean chicken apart from fried chicken elsewhere is yangnyeom chicken: fried pieces tossed in a sweet-and-spicy sauce of gochujang, corn syrup, ketchup and garlic. It emerged in the early 1980s at chicken shops in Daejeon and Daegu. Pelicana, founded in 1982, turned it into a national franchise, followed by Cheogajip, Mexicana and others. Yangnyeom chicken created the uniquely Korean order 'half fried, half yangnyeom'. Splitting one bird into two flavors — 'banban' — remains the most popular choice today. Since then, soy-garlic (Kyochon, 1991), garlic, green onion 'padak', cheese powder, honey butter and more have come in waves every few years, and the menu keeps growing.
Chimaek: How Chicken and Beer Became a Culture
'Chimaek' combines chicken (chikin) and beer (maekju). It became the national pairing during the 2002 FIFA World Cup street celebrations and spread to baseball stadiums, Han River parks and Friday nights at home. The 2014 drama 'My Love from the Star' set off a chimaek craze across Asia, making it a must-do for visitors. Daegu hosts a Chimaek Festival every summer that draws hundreds of thousands. In Seoul, ordering chicken through a delivery app to a picnic mat at a Han River park, paired with convenience-store beer, is one of the classic travel experiences. Late-night delivery and 24-hour convenience stores on every corner are what make this culture possible.
How to Read the Menu
Korean chicken is sold by the whole bird ('han mari'). One bird suits about two adults and costs around 20,000 KRW. Key words on the menu: Fried (후라이드) = plain fried chicken with no sauce. Yangnyeom (양념) = sweet-and-spicy red sauce. Ganjang (간장) = salty-sweet soy sauce glaze. Banban (반반) = half and half of two flavors. Sunsal (순살) = boneless. Ppyeo (뼈) = bone-in pieces, juicier and cheaper. Padak (파닭) = topped with shredded green onion. Maneul (마늘) = garlic sauce. Every order comes with 'chicken-mu', sweet-and-sour pickled radish cubes that cut the richness — do try them. Dine-in, takeout and delivery are all available; delivery is ordered via apps (Baemin, Coupang Eats, Yogiyo) or by phone with a fee of roughly 2,000 to 4,000 KRW. Most foreign cards are accepted.
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