Korean Fried Chicken in Numbers

The number of chicken restaurants (치킨 전문점) in 2024, from the national Service Industry Survey. Bars that also sell chicken, such as hof (호프) beer bars, are counted separately and are not included.

A popular saying claims South Korea has more chicken restaurants than McDonald's has in the whole world. By the official count it is close but not quite: 39,853 in South Korea against 43,477 McDonald's restaurants worldwide at the end of 2024.

McDonald's had 13,557 restaurants in the U.S. at the end of 2024.

South Korea had 51,217,221 registered residents at the end of 2024. Gangwon had the most chicken restaurants for its population: 11.0 per 10,000 people.

31,397 of the chicken restaurants in 2024 belonged to a franchise brand. Together they took in ₩8.8 trillion in sales and employed 65,373 people.

That is the most of any type of restaurant in the 2025 survey; the average for all restaurants is 27.7 days. 57.6% of chicken restaurants open 29 or 30 days a month.

The average for all restaurants in the 2025 survey is 10.6 hours a day.