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Foreigners flock to Kyochon's flagship store, where the past paints the present on a plate of chicken

Published: 10 Apr. 2026, 07:00

KIM MIN-YOUNG
[email protected]

A monumental mother-of-pearl brush is displayed in Kyochon Pilbang, the flagship store of one of Korea's biggest chicken franchises, in Itaewon, central Seoul, on April 7. [PARK SANG-MOON]

There is no sign outside, and no tacky chicken mascot either. The only clue that the signature Korean delicacy awaits near Itaewon Station, central Seoul, is a giant black calligraphy brush mounted beside a heavy door.

Pull it, and the door slides open. Step inside, and you’re faced with a wall of wooden drawers. Slide open the right cabinet, and the speakeasy restaurant reveals itself: a 400-square-meter (4,305-square-foot) venue dedicated to fried chicken, craft beer and Korean craftsmanship.

Welcome to Kyochon Pilbang, the flagship store of Kyochon Chicken, one of Korea’s largest fried chicken franchises. Named after traditional shops that supplied calligraphy tools, the joint has gone viral among foreign visitors — fueled by social media clips of bewildered tourists yanking a giant brush to reveal the hidden chicken chamber — since opening in June 2023.

Now, Pilbang has become one of the hottest destinations in Itaewon, one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the country. Foreign visitors account for 80 to 90 percent of Pilbang’s in-store customers. True to its cosmopolitan reputation, when this Korea JoongAng Daily reporter visited the venue on Tuesday, there was barely a Korean in sight except for the staff.

Alina Kasatkina from Saint Petersburg, Russia, said her sister, Nika, discovered the place while scrolling through TikTok. “Pulling the brush [at the entrance to enter this place] gives the space an atmosphere of fairy tales,” said Alina. “A [...] restaurant only for people who know about it.”

Customers pull down the calligraphy brush in front of the entrance of Kyochon Pilbang, the flagship store of one of Korea's biggest chicken franchises, in Itaewon, central Seoul, on April 7. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Pilbangs were not just shops that supplied calligraphy equipment. They also served as gathering places where intellectuals debated art. Kyochon links the academic tradition to its own cooking technique: Rather than dunking pieces of chicken into a pool of sauce, the sauce is carefully hand-brushed onto each slab of meat. According to the company, the method ensures that the chicken has a glossy coat while maintaining the right amount of crispiness.

For foreign visitors, this storytelling transforms a common chicken dinner into a nouveau cultural encounter.

Alexus Denson from Washington called the chicken “crispy but also light” and praised the brush-painted sauce technique. Denson and Joseph Bonivel had landed in Seoul that morning and came straight here from the airport, thanks to a TikTok video Denson found while searching for food.

Kyochon Pilbang's signature chicken platter, complete with sauces and brushes, is displayed on April 7 at the flagship store of one of Korea's biggest chicken franchises, located in Itaewon, central Seoul. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Alina Kasatkina, right, a tourist from Russia, brushes sauce onto her chicken at Kyochon Pilbang, the flagship store of one of Korea's biggest chicken franchises, in Itaewon, central Seoul, on April 7. [PARK SANG-MOON]

A group of tourists from Malaysia poses in front of the "hanji" (Korean traditional paper) painting on the wall in Kyochon Pilbang, the flagship store of one of Korea's biggest chicken franchises, in Itaewon, central Seoul, on April 7. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Pilbang’s signature platter features assorted fried chicken, on which customers can paint three different sauces themselves. The platter costs 43,000 won ($29), around twice the price of a comparable set at a regular Kyochon branch.

But tourists spending a week’s vacation budget on immersive K-culture experiences barely seem to register the price difference. Bonivel, who had no idea Kyochon was a nationwide franchise, said he was sold on the restaurant. “They hit the right sweet spot between how much chicken they give you and how much you pay for it,” he said.

Kyochon positioned Pilbang as a brand embassy rather than a profit center, allowing Kyochon to gauge global tastes and trial new recipes. The aesthetics of the restaurant reflected the business choice: The walls are clad in hanji (traditional paper) coated in otchil (lacquer) applied by a specialist artisan. A monumental mother-of-pearl brush made by Park Kyung-soo, a designated Intangible Cultural Heritage brush maker, hangs from the ceiling in the center of the hall, quietly emanating a calming steam around the floor.

Customers enjoy the signature chicken platter in Kyochon Pilbang, the flagship store of one of Korea's biggest chicken franchises, in Itaewon, central Seoul, on April 7. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Assorted brushes are displayed on the wall in Kyochon Pilbang, the flagship store of one of Korea's biggest chicken franchises, in Itaewon, central Seoul, on April 7. [PARK SANG-MOON]

A "hanji" (Korean traditional paper) painting is displayed in Kyochon Pilbang, the flagship store of one of Korea's biggest chicken franchises, in Itaewon, central Seoul, on April 7. [PARK SANG-MOON]

“Originally we targeted everyone, Korean and foreign customers alike,” said Hong Yong-ki, the team leader of Kyochon’s public relations department. “But word-of-mouth just spread faster among foreigners. For Koreans, chicken is everyday food that’s easily accessible. But for foreign visitors, the experience itself becomes something special.”

Hong said that there are no plans to expand Pilbang — perhaps a choice that reflects the premium high-end nature of the flagship joint.

Pilbang’s foreign-heavy clientele reflects a much larger wave. Korea welcomed a record 18.7 million visitors in 2025, and the government seems to have assessed that fried chicken has emerged as a surprisingly powerful draw. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs launched the “K-Chicken Belt” in March, mapping premier chicken restaurants nationwide and working them into curated tourist itineraries.

Kyochon Pilbang's "tteokbokki" (spicy rice cake) is displayed in the flagship store of one of Korea's biggest chicken franchises, located in Itaewon, central Seoul, on April 7. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Glasses of beer samplers from Kyochon-affiliated Moon Bear brewery are displayed at Kyochon Pilbang, the flagship store of one of Korea's biggest chicken franchises, in Itaewon, central Seoul, on April 7. [PARK SANG-MOON]

The flagship store sits at the intersection of these trends: a place where eating chicken is wrapped in a narrative that gives a high-end flourish to its aesthetics, precisely the sort of immersive destination that today’s experience-hungry visitors seek.

“We set out to show Kyochon’s identity,” said Hong. “It just happened that our identity was exactly what foreigners were looking for in a K-chicken experience.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]