As the K-wave spreads to Korean restaurants, the number of locals visiting Korean restaurants overseas is increasing. It is changing from a meal for special occasions to an everyday meal, and its popularity is higher in Southeast Asia than in other continents.
Local residents are enjoying Korean food at a Korean restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam. [Photo by Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation]
On the 25th, the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation announced the results of the 'Overseas Korean Food Consumer Survey' conducted over two months from August to October last year, targeting 9,000 locals (aged 20-59) living in 18 major overseas cities including New York, Shanghai, and Jakarta. Among foreigners who had visited a Korean restaurant in the past year, 64.6% responded, far exceeding half of the respondents. Looking at the trend of Korean restaurant visits by continent, the proportion of foreigners who visited Korean restaurants in Oceania, Latin America, and the Middle East increased by 2.1 percentage points to 52.3% compared to the previous year, while other continents saw a slight decrease. The continent with the highest proportion of Korean restaurant visits was Southeast Asia at 84.6%, followed by Northeast Asia (74.7%), North America (58.6%), Oceania, Latin America, and the Middle East (52.3%), and Europe (46.9%).
When asked whether it was easy to find Korean restaurants in the city they currently reside in, 79.7% of respondents in Southeast Asia answered that it was easy, followed by Northeast Asia (74.7%), North America (73.9%), Europe (61.6%), and Oceania, Latin America, and the Middle East (58.7%). The average monthly frequency of Korean restaurant visits by foreigners was 1.7 times, with Southeast Asia having the highest average monthly visit frequency at 2.2 times. This was followed by Northeast Asia at 1.7 times, Oceania, Latin America, and the Middle East at 1.5 times, North America at 1.4 times, and Europe at 1.2 times.
The trend in the purpose of restaurant visits was also notable. The proportion of foreigners visiting Korean restaurants for 'everyday meals' was 46.2% in 2022, but increased by 2.8 percentage points to 49.0% in 2023. Additionally, 41.5% visited Korean restaurants for 'private gatherings,' and 9.4% for 'official gatherings.' The proportion of foreigners satisfied with Korean restaurants was 90.4%, up 0.5 percentage points from the previous year. When asked if they would recommend Korean restaurants, 83.1% of respondents said they would, indicating overall high satisfaction with Korean restaurants. The proportion of foreigners willing to revisit Korean restaurants was 86.7%. By continent, Southeast Asia ranked first with 91.9%, followed by Northeast Asia at 85.9%, Europe at 84.6%, Oceania, Latin America, and the Middle East at 84.4%, and North America at 84.3%.
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