McDonald’s Marks 30 Years Since Opening its Doors in Korea

n March 29, 1988, the McDonald’s franchise opened its first location in South Korea in Apgujeong-dong in the southern part of Seoul.

The country was already awash in Olympic fever with the summer games set to open later that year in September as hundreds lined up for their first taste of McDonald’s on the peninsula.

Since that time, over 1.9 billion people have walked through McDonald’s doors in Korea – or about five people each second.

Over the course of its three decades in the country, the global fast-food giant has introduced several items tailored to local tastes such as the “Bulgogi Burger” and the “1955 Burger”.

In another nod to local tastes, Korea is also one of the few countries that doesn’t sell the Filet o’ Fish – which was replaced several years back with a shrimp burger. A move which prompted one person to form a Facebook group calling for its return.

Knowing Korean’s love for spicy cuisine, the company also launched the “McSpicy Shanghai” chicken burger.

It is interesting to note that McDonald’s branded their spicy Korean offering “Shanghai” – likely a wise move to maintain that international food feel of the franchise despite it being an adaption to local tastes.

Last year in Singapore, McDonald’s rolled out the “Seoul Spicy Chicken Burger” and “Seoul Spicy Beef” burger, along with the “Kimchi Shaker Fries.” None of which are available in the Korean market.

Riding the popularity of K-pop and Korean dramas in Southeast Asia, Singapore Mickey D’s even rolled out a mock Korean drama ad campaign with a love triangle featuring the Seoul Spicy in the middle of it all.

Brand troubles in Korea

While McDonald’s remains a very strong brand in the South Korean market, there are signs of it slowing down. The company currently has 448 stores across the country, but the pace of growth has slowed in recent years, increasing by 13 stores in the past two years.