Authentic Korean convenience meals attract foreigners

The global popularity of Korean food has reached a point where convenience store meal boxes, known as “dosirak,” have become part of a new market trend where signature Korean flavors and traditional recipes have become a hit with international visitors and popular in new markets. Min Jung-hwan, who plans and oversees dosirak production for GS25 at GS Retail’s Merchandise Headquarters, is seeing the shift firsthand. Rather than creating separate products for foreign customers, the retailer is increasingly offering the same dosirak that appeal to Korean consumers, reflecting growing interest in authentic Korean flavors. “We don’t make dosirak that are specially for foreigners because many of them like what Koreans enjoy. Even at GS25 stores in Vietnam and Mongolia, visitors are interested in authentic Korean-style dosirak. We try to meet such expectations so that they can feel they are inside a Korean convenience store,” Min said in an interview with The Korea Times. “To serve the rising number of foreigners coming to Korea, we are boosting a pipeline for those with banchan