President urges consumers dine out yet most Korean restaurants still lack trained chefs
President Lee Jae Myung makes a toast with citizens at a Korean restaurant near Gwanghwamun, Seoul, Friday. He encouraged dining out to boost domestic consumption through a social media post. Yonhap
Survey finds 74 percent of domestic Korean eateries operate without certified cooks
Despite the global rise of Korean cuisine fueled by the K-pop or hallyu wave, a recent survey shows that most Korean restaurants in Korea still lack basic culinary professionalism.
According to a 2024 industry report released by the Korean Food Promotion Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Sunday, nearly three out of four Korean eateries or 73.6 percent do not employ any cooks certified in Korean cuisine.
The survey results came two days after President Lee Jae Myung called on the public to help revitalize domestic consumption by dining out more often. Conducted between September and November 2023, the study surveyed 1,500 Korean food and drinking establishments nationwide.
The scope included everyday diners offering set meals or stews, noodle and grilled meat specialty shops, sashimi restaurants, fried chicken joints and traditional liquor bars.
What’s more concerning is that few restaurant owners even saw the need for professional training. Some 68.7 percent of businesses surveyed said they considered such education “unnecessary.”
As a result, 75 percent of Korean restaurants developed recipes in-house without formal culinary guidance, and 50.7 percent admitted they did not engage in any recipe development or research at all.
The lack of expertise is closely tied to how many of these businesses were started. Roughly half of the owners had no prior entrepreneurial experience. Before entering the restaurant industry, 46.3 percent had worked in sales, retail or service sectors, followed by 22.8 percent who were previously full-time homemakers.
When asked why they opened a Korean restaurant, the most common answer was, “I thought the market outlook was good” (27.9 percent). Another 25.7 percent said they believed restaurant management would be easier than other types of businesses.
Only 6.9 percent cited holding a Korean culinary certification as a motivation for opening their restaurant. The average preparation time before opening was just 6.8 months.
A shuttered restaurant in Seoul remains closed on June 22. Yonhap
With low entry barriers and minimal training, closures are common. A spokesperson from the Korean Food Promotion Institute suggested that Korean restaurants likely have a higher closure rate than the food service industry average.
As of August 2023, there were 433,389 Korean food establishments and 26,830 Korean pubs nationwide. Combined annual revenue for these businesses was estimated at 97 trillion won ($70 billion).
The average monthly operating cost per restaurant was 15.56 million won, with ingredients accounting for the largest share, at nearly 54 percent.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.