Kyochon hiked chicken to ₩19,000 — then discounted, and the boycott held

In spring 2023, Kyochon F&B raised the price of its Kyochon Original whole chicken from 16,000 won to 19,000 won, and its Honey Combo from 20,000 won to 23,000 won, citing rising rent, labor, platform commissions and raw material costs. With delivery charges of up to 5,000 won on top, Kyochon was seen as pushing a single fried-chicken meal toward the 30,000-won mark — and it had been Korea's first fried chicken franchise to charge for delivery at all.

The backlash was immediate: consumers already squeezed by inflation organized boycotts, and online communities traded recommendations for cheaper rival chicken. A month later, Kyochon offered a 3,000-won ($2.30) discount on its most popular menus for Baedal Minjok orders between May 15 and 21. Customers shrugged it off. 'Even if it offers discounts, the prices of its fried chickens are still too high, considering delivery fees,' one internet user wrote. A thirtysomething office worker who had dumped her 'once favorite' brand kept boycotting anyway, still angry at the price policy.

The company denied the discounts were damage control. 'The events were parts of our efforts to stimulate domestic consumption that has been slow since the second half of last year,' a Kyochon F&B official said — a framing few consumers bought.

The hike stacked three price layers — menu price, delivery fee, and commissions baked into pricing — pushing a chicken order toward 30,000 won in a recession.

Kyochon's precedent mattered: as the first fried chicken chain to charge for delivery, it had already spent the goodwill the hike drew on.

The discount week was smaller than the grievance (₩3,000 off for one app, one week) and so read as confirmation the new prices were too high.

The company's 'stimulating consumption' explanation contradicted customers' lived experience, deepening distrust rather than repairing it.

A discount after a price shock reads as an admission, not a gift: once customers have organized a boycott, half-hearted rebates confirm the grievance instead of ending it.

The boycott continued past the discount week, with consumers coordinating alternatives online. Kyochon kept its higher menu prices, its May 15–21 promotion ended without any announced reversal, and the company maintained the discounts were routine consumption stimulus.