McDonald's pushes shrimp burger in Korea

The Deluxe Shrimp Burger / Courtesy of McDonald's Korea

By Lee Ji-hye

McDonald’s is attempting to bolster its place in the Korean fast food market with a new shrimp burger that features whole shrimps stuffed into a patty.

The Korea unit of the U.S.-chain this week rolled out its campaign to promote the Deluxe Shrimp Burger, with stores handing out 100 free burgers on Monday, a day before the product’s official launch.

Moon Jong-won, a public relations manager at McDonald’s Korea, repeatedly described the shrimp used in the burger with the Korean phrase, "taeng-geul, taeng-gul, "which roughly translates to "plump."

"We differentiate ourselves from other shrimp burgers by offering a high-quality shrimp patty," Moon told The Korea Times.

While some might disagree with the Thousand Island dressing or the soft square of cheese that accompanies the burger, the meat itself comes pretty much as advertised: a bite into the patty reveals whole, pink-colored shrimps that are tender to the bite.

A man stands in front of cashier to order at a McDonald's in Seoul Station on Tuesday / Korea Times photo by Lee Ji-hye

During the promotional event Monday, participants lined up for an early chance to try the product. They were given number cards they could trade in for a sandwich.

"The Thousand Island dressing was good, but the cheese was totally off," remarked Han Woo-ri, 22, who waited in line with the number 32 at a McDonald’s near Korea University in Seoul.

On Tuesday, a significant share of lunch-hour customers opted for the shrimp-burger at the McDonald’s at Seoul Station, shelling out 4,500 won ($4.28) for a value set that also includes pink lemonade and fries.

"I chose the menu item after seeing the poster," said Yoon Sung-su, 85, splitting a shrimp burger with his daughter. "The burger is good, I like shrimp."

"I can feel the shrimp inside the patty,” said Jeong Yeon-ju, 34, a graduate student. Her friend, Kim Bo-young, 33, added, "Plump is the right word, I can feel the 'plump' shrimp when I eat the burger."

Some, however, were not so welcoming.

"I should’ve gotten a Big Mac," said Kim Joon-Seok, 35, a self-employed worker, "The next time I feel like having a shrimp burger, I’ll go to Lotteria."

Some observers have pointed out that McDonald’s rival in the Korean market, Lotteria, has long carried a shrimp burger.

Lotteria is the country’s biggest fast-food chain in terms of number of locations, followed by McDonalds.

Moon of McDonald’s Korea said the Deluxe Shrimp Burger is being offered on a "limited edition" basis. "If people like it, we’re planning to keep it on the regular menu."

The company appears set to continue full-throttle with its promotional push. McDonald’s Korea said on its Facebook page it will offer coupons for free shrimp burgers to people who "like" or share an official post about the product.