Delivery culture in South Korea facts for kids

South Korea is famous for its amazing delivery services! Imagine getting almost anything delivered right to your door, super fast and often cheaply. This isn't a new thing; it actually started way back in the Joseon era, hundreds of years ago. Today, with busy lives and cool technology, people in Korea use delivery for everything: yummy food, important papers, or even gifts. While delivery exists everywhere, Korea's system is special because of how many scooters and motorcycles zip around, making sure things arrive quickly.

History of Korean Delivery

Delivery services in Korea began a long time ago, during the Joseon era (1392-1910). One of the first foods ever delivered was Naengmyeon, which are cold buckwheat noodles in soup.

Early Deliveries in the Joseon Era

A writer named Hwang Yun-seok wrote in his book about ordering Naengmyeon for lunch in July 1768. Back then, Naengmyeon was a special dish enjoyed by kings and queens, and also by noble families. This popularity led to the very first delivery services. Over time, delivery became more common for royalty and important people.

Delivery Grows with New Foods

By the 1930s, delivery food included many different soups and noodles. This growth happened partly because many Chinese people moved to Incheon in the early 1900s. They brought new foods, like Jajangmyeon (짜장면). This is a popular noodle dish with a black bean paste sauce.

Jajangmyeon became very popular in the 1950s. This helped delivery services grow even more. During the 1970s, Korea's economy grew quickly. This meant more Chinese restaurants opened everywhere, making delivery even easier to find.

However, it was in the 1990s when fried chicken and pizza became super popular for delivery. This made the food delivery market in Korea grow incredibly fast!

From Phone Calls to Mobile Apps

Before smartphones, people used landline phones to order delivery. Restaurants would give out their menus to homes. This way, people could easily choose what they wanted to eat.

Modern Delivery Apps

As technology got better, ordering delivery became much simpler. Today, most people (about 70%) use special mobile apps to order food. These apps are now the main way people get deliveries. Some of the most popular apps include Yogiyo (요기요), Coupang Eats (쿠팡), and Baedal Minjok (배달의민족). These apps make it easy to order almost anything with just a few taps on your phone!