The number of Korean restaurant businesses nationwide fell by more than 6,000 over the past year, marking a decline after years of growth that continued even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the National Tax Service, the number of Korean restaurant operators stood at 403,299 as of July, down 6,001, or 1.46 percent, from 409,300 a year earlier. Over the same period, the number of Japanese restaurant businesses rose 1.07 percent, from 23,201 to 23,451.

The number of Korean restaurants continued to grow during the COVID-19 pandemic, rising from 386,161 in 2019 to 397,465 in 2020, 404,871 in 2021 and 408,019 in 2022. The figure climbed further to 410,323 in 2023 and 411,145 in 2024 before falling to 406,075 in 2025.

The restaurant industry attributed the decline to several factors, including the aging of business owners, relatively low use of delivery services, and rising ingredient and labor costs.


don@heraldcorp.com