Deeply rooted in South Korean culture, fried chicken is on every table, from family meals to "mukbang" (live cooking show). No less than ten million viewers watched live the star of the K-pop group BTS Jungkook taste this specialty for a show of this type.

Accompanied by a lager and known as "chimaek" (combination of the words for chicken and beer), it is also a staple of the baseball spectator experience in Seoul.

The domestic market - the third largest in the world, after the United States and China - is worth about 7 trillion won (000.4 billion euros).

But the labour shortage is beginning to be felt. A survey conducted in 2022 found that about 54% of restaurant business owners struggle to recruit. Long working hours, stress and arduousness are singled out by a separate study of the sector.

An employee of the Robert Chicken restaurant handles fried chicken by a robot, on June 13, 2023 in Seoul © Anthony WALLACE / AFP

Fine cook

Korean fried chicken is pickled and fried twice, giving it its characteristic crispy appearance. But the process — more elaborate than that typically used by U.S. fast-food chains — requires more labor and requires workers to stay close to hot oil for a long time.

Ms. Kang, a 38-year-old entrepreneur, saw an opportunity.

Business leader Jang Ji-young (center) at her Robert Chicken restaurant in Seoul, June 13, 2023 © Anthony WALLACE / AFP

The sector could clearly benefit from greater automation to "effectively tackle labour costs and shortages" of labour, she told AFP, in her Robert Chicken franchise.

Behind her, the robot meticulously takes care of the frying, immersing the meat in oil, turning it over for even cooking, and then retrieving it when it is perfectly crispy. An irresistible smell floats in the establishment.

The robot can monitor oil temperature and oxidation levels in real time as it fries the chicken, ensuring consistent taste and superior hygiene.

Consisting of a simple and flexible mechanical arm, it is capable of frying 100 chickens in two hours, a task that would normally require about five people and several fryers.

And Ms. Kang says it: not only is it 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 multi-million dollar fund to help start-ups working on high-tech solutions for the food industry.

The government sees the possibility of a "new engine of growth", banking on the considerable potential that could represent the combination of advanced robotics and artificial intelligence with classics of local gastronomy, such as kimchi.

A robot frys chicken at the Robert Chicken restaurant in Seoul, June 13, 2023 © Anthony WALLACE / AFP

From mobile shopping delivery apps to smart kitchens to a startup specializing in "vegan eggs," South Korea's food industry is already a heavyweight in the economy, said Lee Ki-won, a professor of food science at Seoul National University.

Samsung Electronics, one of the world's largest technology companies, has joined the movement by launching Samsung Food, a platform for planning meals and personalized recipes using artificial intelligence, available in eight languages.

According to Lee, other South Korean conglomerates could quickly follow suit.

An employee prepares to serve a fried chicken dish prepared by a robot, on June 13, 2023 at Robert Chicken restaurant in Seoul © Anthony WALLACE / AFP

In the not-too-distant future, food delivery by electric vehicles or delivery robots could soon become part of our daily lives, he predicts, saying he is "convinced" that the food technology industry will become South Korea's top industry within ten years.

Kang now owns 15 robotic chicken restaurants across the country, as well as a branch in Singapore.

Seated in one of the franchises, Kim Moon-jung, a 54-year-old employee of an insurance company, revels. While she admits she doesn't fully understand how the robot cooks differently than a human, "one thing is for sure, it's delicious," she says.

When Ms. Kang started her business, she wasn't sure anyone trusted a robot rather than a human cook.

"After developing these technologies, I realized that, from the customer's point of view, they can enjoy food that is not only cleaner, but also tastier," she told AFP.

His next venture will be a bar in New York's Koreatown, which will offer cocktails made with soju, the traditional Korean spirit... prepared by robots.

© 2023 AFP