Man who reshaped South Korea’s fried chicken market dies at 74

SEOUL – Mr Yoon Jong-gye, the founder of Mexican Chicken and widely regarded as the creator of Korea’s signature sweet-and-spicy fried chicken, has died after a long illness, his family said. He was 74.

Mr Yoon died on Dec 30, 2025, at his home in Cheongdo-gun, North Gyeongsang province. His death was made public this week.

Born in Daegu in April 1952, Mr Yoon entered the food business in the late 1970s after his printing company collapsed.

He opened a modest fried chicken shop in Daegu’s Hyomok-dong, where he began experimenting with ways to improve fried chicken, which he felt was often dry and lacking flavour.

In 1980, Mr Yoon developed what came to be known as “yangnyeom” chicken – fried chicken coated in a glossy red sauce made from chilli powder and starch syrup, combined with a brining process that made the meat juicier.

The dish quickly caught on, reshaping South Korea’s fried chicken market and becoming a defining feature of the country’s food culture.

Mr Yoon later recalled that early customers were hesitant, complaining that the sauce left their hands sticky. The reaction soon shifted, however, as word spread and customers began travelling from across the country to try the dish.

In 1985, he formally launched the Mexican Chicken brand – though unrelated to Mexico – and made industry history by airing South Korea’s first television commercial for fried chicken. The chain expanded rapidly, operating about 1,700 outlets nationwide at its peak.

Mr Yoon is also credited with creating “chicken-mu”, the pickled radish now commonly served with fried chicken in South Korea, after observing that customers often complained of feeling uncomfortable after eating chicken alone. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK