SEOUL, February 05 (AJP) - South Korean dining brands have increased their overseas store count by nearly 25 percent over the past five years, a government survey showed on Thursday.
According to the survey, released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. (aT), Korean dining companies operated 4,644 stores across 56 countries last year, up from 3,722 outlets in 48 countries in 2020.
Over the same period, the number of companies operating overseas fell to 122 from 134, while the number of brands slipped to 139 from 147. The survey suggests companies are concentrating resources in key markets rather than expanding broadly, with many respondents reporting higher overseas sales over the past year.
The United States was the largest market, accounting for 1,106 stores, or 23.8 percent of the total, more than double the 528 outlets recorded in 2020.
China ranked second with 830 stores, down sharply from 1,368 five years earlier. Vietnam remained the largest base in Southeast Asia with 634 outlets, followed by the Philippines with 294, Thailand with 231 and Taiwan with 196 stores.
By sector, chicken chains remained dominant, accounting for 39 percent of overseas outlets, followed by bakery brands at 25.5 percent. Together they made up nearly two-thirds of all stores abroad.
The ministry said it plans to strengthen tailored support at each stage of overseas expansion, link restaurant operators with Korean food ingredient exporters and provide more detailed market information by country and region.
"Overseas expansion has become an important pillar in boosting the global competitiveness of Korean cuisine and the broader food industry," said ministry official Jeong Gyeong-seok.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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