Why Korea Has 40,000 Chicken Shops

South Korea has over 40,000 fried chicken shops—more than every McDonald’s on Earth combined. It looks like a food obsession. But behind the grease lies an economic trap: early retirements, a broken safety net, and a system where opening a chicken shop isn't an ambition—it's survival. This is the hidden economics behind Korea’s fryer empire. Subscribe to Hanji for deep dives into how modern Korea really works. --- 📌 Credits • Photo of Jensen Huang: Office of the President (總統府), CC BY 2.0 • News Reference: Hankyung BUSINESS (Oct 30, 2025) • Stock Footage & Stills: Pexels & Wikimedia Commons (CC0 / Public Domain) #VideoEssay #Documentary #TheEconomicsOf #SouthKorea