Korean chicken, ramen, and kimchi are the most popular Korean dishes among foreigners. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — As global interest in Korean cuisine continues to soar, foreign tourists visiting South Korea are increasingly venturing beyond traditional dishes like kimchi, bulgogi, and bibimbap to explore the flavors of everyday Korean life — from instant noodles and gimbap to street snacks and convenience store fare.
According to data released Monday by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), an analysis of foreign credit card transactions from 2018 through July 2025 shows a sharp rise in spending on casual foods. Ice cream topped the list with an average annual growth rate of 35 percent, followed by convenience store meals at 34 percent and waffles and croffles at 25.5 percent.
Year-on-year, purchases of traditional rice cakes and Korean sweets jumped 76.9 percent as of July, while noodle and dumpling dishes rose 55.2 percent, and gamjatang (spicy pork bone stew) climbed 44 percent.
The survey conducted by food and beverage company CJ CheilJedang on Tuesday revealed that bulgogi is the most popular Korean dish among foreign residents, followed by jjimdak, accounting for 17 percent and 12 percent, respectively, based on the responses of 100 foreign nationals to an online survey. (Image: Kobiz Media)
Cafés remained the most frequented food spots among foreign visitors in the first seven months of 2025, accounting for 8.9 million transactions, followed by bakeries with 3 million and hamburger shops with 2.3 million. Notably, six of the top 10 burger brands were homegrown Korean franchises.
Social media data further revealed the cultural pull of “everyday K-food.” Among posts mentioning convenience stores, 40 percent focused on food, with ramen (14.1 percent), coffee (10.5 percent), and snacks (7 percent) emerging as key themes.
“The rapid sharing of lifestyle trends worldwide has turned ordinary aspects of Korean daily life into unique experiences for foreign visitors — and that dynamic is now feeding back into Korea’s own culture,” said Lee Mi-sook, head of KTO’s Tourism Data Strategy Division. “We plan to actively incorporate these insights into our tourism policies and inbound marketing strategies.”
Korea’s frozen gimbap has already made waves in the United States, the world’s largest consumer market. More recently, its popularity has grown further after a scene in K-Pop Demon Hunters featured the main character, Rumi, eating gimbap. (Image source: Netflix)
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
