Iksan Sweet Potato Mozzarella Burger. (Image from from McDonald’s Korea YouTube channel)
IKSAN, July 18 (Korea Bizwire) – McDonald’s Korea’s latest local specialty, the “Iksan Sweet Potato Mozzarella Burger,” has become a viral sensation on social media, surpassing 500,000 units sold within just four days of its release on July 10. The burger is now poised to reach the one-million mark by this weekend, according to officials from McDonald’s Korea and the city of Iksan.
Part of the fast-food chain’s ongoing “Taste of Korea” campaign, the burger uses locally sourced Iksan sweet potatoes and mozzarella, and has quickly caught the attention of both influencers and everyday consumers. Videos featuring the burger have racked up millions of views on YouTube and Instagram, with thousands of new reviews uploaded daily.
Local politicians, including Iksan Mayor Jung Heon-yul and Democratic Party lawmakers Han Byung-do and Lee Chun-seok, have joined the promotional push, posting their own endorsements of the burger on social media.
McDonald’s promotional video, which features a local farmer and the Iksan sweet potato harvest, has been praised for boosting consumer trust by highlighting the burger’s regional origins and ingredient transparency.
The product’s brisk sales make it the fastest-selling item among the Taste of Korea series, which began in 2021. Previous editions included the Changnyeong Garlic Burger, the Boseong Green Pork Burger, the Jindo Green Onion Cream Croquette Burger, and this year’s Jinju Chili Cream Cheese Burger.
Due to strong demand, some McDonald’s locations have reported the Iksan burger selling out by early afternoon. While the campaign is slated to run for a limited period, McDonald’s has previously reintroduced popular items from the series for multiple rounds of sales. Officials say similar discussions are already underway for the Iksan Sweet Potato Burger.
With the burger’s popularity also driving up interest in Iksan’s sweet potato crop, local officials hope it will translate into long-term benefits for the region’s agricultural sector as harvesting begins in earnest this August.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
