In South Korea, this fast food favorite with fried chicken nuts can be found on every corner. But Kang Ji-young’s setup is a bit unusual: it’s a robot that works in the kitchen.
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Fried chicken is deeply rooted in South Korean culture and is on every table, from family dinners to “mukbang” (live cooking shows). No less than ten million viewers watched live as the star of the K-pop group BTS Jungkook tried this specialty for a show of this kind.
Accompanied by a lager and known as “Chimaek” (a combination of the words for chicken and beer), it is also a staple of the baseball viewing experience in Seoul.
AFP
The domestic market – the third largest in the world after the USA and China – is around 7,000 billion won (4.9 billion euros).
But the labor shortage is slowly becoming noticeable. A survey conducted in 2022 found that around 54% of hospitality businesses are experiencing difficulty recruiting staff. Long working hours, stress and strain are examined in a separate industry study.
Good cook
Korean fried chicken is brined and double-fried, giving it its signature crispy appearance. But the process — more involved than that typically used by U.S. fast-food chains — is more labor-intensive and requires workers to spend long periods near the hot oil.
AFP
Ms. Kang, a 38-year-old entrepreneur, saw an opportunity.
The sector could clearly benefit from greater automation to “effectively address labor costs and their shortage,” she assures AFP in her candid Robert Chicken.
Behind her, the robot carefully handles the frying by dipping the meat in oil, turning it to cook evenly, and then removing it when it’s perfectly crispy. An irresistible smell wafts through the restaurant.
The robot can monitor the oil temperature and oxidation level in real time while frying the chicken, ensuring consistent taste and excellent hygiene.
AFP
Consisting of a simple, flexible mechanical arm, it is capable of frying 100 chickens in two hours, a task that would normally require about five people and multiple deep fryers.
And Ms. Kang confirms it: Not content with being more efficient than humans, her robot is also a better cook.
Massive investment
South Korea, already at the forefront of the global electronics industry, announced in 2022 the creation of a multimillion-dollar fund to help young companies develop high-tech solutions for the food industry.
The government sees the possibility of a “new growth engine” and is betting on the significant potential that could lie in combining advanced robotics and artificial intelligence with local gastronomy classics such as kimchi.
From mobile food delivery apps to smart kitchens, including a startup that specializes in “vegan eggs,” South Korea’s food industry is already a heavyweight in the economy, says Seoul food studies science professor Lee Ki-won National University.
Samsung Electronics, one of the world’s largest technology companies, joined the movement and launched Samsung Food, an artificial intelligence-powered, personalized meal planning and recipe platform available in eight languages.
According to Mr. Lee, other South Korean companies could quickly follow suit.
In the not-too-distant future, food delivery via electric vehicle or delivery robot may soon become part of our daily lives, he predicts, saying he is “convinced” that the food technology industry will be the first sector of South Korean activity in 10 years.
Ms Kang now runs 15 robot chicken restaurants across the country, as well as a branch in Singapore.
Kim Moon-jung, a 54-year-old insurance company employee, is sitting in one of the franchise branches and having fun. While she admits she doesn’t fully understand why the robot cooks differently than a human, “one thing is certain: it’s delicious,” she says.
When Ms. Kang started her company, she wasn’t sure whether anyone would trust a robot more than a human chef.
“After developing these technologies, I realized that from the customer’s perspective, they can enjoy food not only cleaner but also tastier,” she told AFP.
His next project will be a bar in New York’s Koreatown that will offer cocktails made with soju, the traditional Korean strong alcohol… prepared by robots.