SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - Korean-style fried chicken has been ranked the most frequently eaten and most preferred Korean dish among global consumers, according to a new government survey.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Institute on Monday released the findings of a consumer survey on Korean food overseas, which polled 11,000 respondents across 22 major cities worldwide.
A total of 28.3 percent of respondents said they most often ate Korean-style fried chicken in the past year, followed by kimchi at 28 percent, bibimbap at 19.9 percent, ramyeon at 16.6 percent, and bulgogi at 14 percent. When asked which Korean dish they preferred the most, fried chicken again led with 14 percent, ahead of kimchi with 9.5 percent, bibimbap with 8.2 percent, and bulgogi with 5.8 percent.
Korean fried chicken has recently drawn global attention after NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang visited a branch of "Kkanbu Chicken" during his trip to Seoul last month for APEC week, accompanied by Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, sparking widespread attention online.
Shares of Kyochon F&B—Korea's only listed fried chicken franchise—jumped as much as 23.31 percent in early trading to 4,900 won ($3.32) following the buzz. The company reported a third-quarter operating profit of 11.3 billion won, up 47.2 percent from a year earlier, with revenue rising 6 percent to 135.2 billion won. Net profit surged 68.9 percent to 7.6 billion won.
Overall satisfaction with Korean cuisine remained high, with 94.2 percent of respondents who had tried Korean food saying they were satisfied. The share of consumers willing to try Korean food again surpassed 80 percent for the first time, rising 4.5 percentage points from last year to 80.6 percent.
The survey also found that Korean cultural content continues to play a major role in boosting interest in Korean cuisine. With the global success of Netflix's animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" this year, 65.1 percent of respondents said Hallyu content was what initially drew them to Korean food.
Based on the findings, the ministry plans to strengthen regional marketing, support overseas Korean restaurants, and expand collaborations linking Korean food with cultural content and ready-to-eat products.
"We will expand the designation of outstanding overseas Korean restaurants and tailor promotion strategies to local consumer trends to elevate the global standing of Korean cuisine," said Jeong Kyung-seok, director-general for food industry policy at the ministry.
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