Overseas tourists in South Korea are changing their dining habits, according to recent data on Korean food trends. As a result, visitors now prefer convenience store meals, cafes, and fast food over traditional Korean restaurants.
The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) reported that convenience store snacks, coffee, waffles, and fast food now make up a growing share of tourist food spending. From 2018 through July 2025, ice cream purchases rose 35 percent annually. In addition, convenience store meals increased 34 percent, while croffles and waffles grew 25.5 percent.
In the first seven months of 2025, tourists made about 13 million convenience store transactions. Meanwhile, cafes had 8.9 million, bakeries 3 million, and burger restaurants 2.3 million transactions. All three categories grew over 29 percent compared to last year.
Experts say the shift stems from a distinctly Korean twist on global food formats. For instance, many hamburger purchases occurred at domestic chains. Moreover, even international fast food outlets now offer Korea-only menus and themed store interiors.
Social media also drives these Korean food trends. Specifically, a review of foreign-language posts from January 2023 to July 2025 showed that over 40 percent of mentions of Korean convenience stores included food. In particular, ramyen appeared most often (14.1 percent), followed by coffee (10.5 percent) and snacks (7 percent).
Some everyday Korean dishes are also gaining popularity. For example, spending on noodle dishes and dumplings increased 55.2 percent. Similarly, pork bone stew, or gamjatang, rose 44 percent. Furthermore, traditional snacks jumped 76.9 percent. Viral desserts like ggultteok cereal were developed into formal products by Samlip in December 2024, clearly showing the influence of online trends.
Lee Mi-sook, head of KTO’s tourism data strategy team, said these shifts reflect a growing interest in Korean daily life. “Korean daily routines are becoming new experiences for international travelers,” she said.
KTO expects these Korean food trends to keep shaping culinary tourism. Therefore, local businesses are adapting to international tastes while highlighting unique Korean flavors.
