South Korea is betting on its global chicken craze to boost tourism with the launch of the “K-Chicken Belt,” a new culinary tourism initiative. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced plans Thursday to create a nationwide network highlighting Korean chicken dishes, aiming to attract international visitors and revitalize regional economies.
The K-Chicken Belt initiative will connect regional chicken specialties with local history, culture, and landmarks, offering a comprehensive Korean food experience beyond Seoul. This ambitious project aims to showcase the diversity of Korean cuisine and draw tourists to various regions of the country.
This project joins a growing collection of “K-gourmet belts,” launched in 2024, which successfully created similar tourism circuits around Korean staples like fermented sauces, kimchi, ginseng, and traditional liquors. These belts have proven effective in promoting culinary tourism and supporting local businesses.
“Chicken embodies Korean food’s global appeal,” stated Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung. “We will work closely with the chicken and tourism industries to ensure the K-chicken belt becomes a new culinary travel destination for tourists visiting Korea.”
The ministry aims to spotlight chicken dishes and restaurants with strong local traditions. They will integrate 33 culinary destinations, already selected by the Korea Tourism Organization, into a single, interconnected route. Plans also include opening chicken processing facilities and farms as interactive tourism attractions along the belt.
To gather valuable local insights, the ministry has launched a public campaign encouraging citizens to nominate their favorite local chicken restaurants, popular food streets, and historically significant food sites for inclusion in the K-Chicken Belt.
“We plan to release a K-chicken belt map in the first half of the year, along with videos from travel creators touring chicken and poultry destinations across the country,” a ministry official said. Travelers can expect informative and engaging content to guide their culinary adventures.
