Twenty-five tons of Cheongju glutinous corn will be turned into McDonald's burgers. It is part of McDonald's "loconomy (local + economy)" project, which buys local produce and makes limited-time menu items.
McDonald's Korea on Jul. 8 held a press briefing at the Itaewon store in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to mark the fifth anniversary of its "Taste of Korea" project and unveiled its sixth new menu items, the "Cheongju glutinous corn cheese croquette burger" and the "Cheongju glutinous corn cheese croquette muffin." It bought about 25 tons of corn, a popular summer ingredient, and reinterpreted it as burgers.
Taste of Korea began in 2021 with the "Changnyeong garlic burger" and has since introduced a series of regional specialty projects, including the Boseong green pork, Jindo green onion, Jinju pepper, and Iksan sweet potato burgers. Marketing team Director Seong Jeong-hwa said, "More than 30 million have been sold over five years, and through this we procured over 1,000 tons of domestic ingredients," adding, "Consistently sharing the region's stories and producers' sincerity has been the secret to its steady popularity."
Regarding why Cheongju glutinous corn was chosen as this year's ingredient, Menu Development Head of Team Baek Chang-ho said, "Its chewy texture, rich sweetness, and savory flavor made it the best fit for this menu," adding, "During the sales period, securing a stable supply volume and consistent quality was key."
The impact extended to farms. According to an analysis conducted by McDonald's Korea with a specialized institution, Taste of Korea created about 61.7 billion won in social and economic value from 2021 through last year. The effect of enhancing regional brand value was tallied at 56.7 billion won, and the increase in farm income at 4.49 billion won. Communications and External Affairs Senior Director Sim Na-ri said, "It's a project that boosts both taste and farms."
This year, it will also run a promotion linked to the Hometown Love Donation program with Cheongju City. It will guide donations via QR codes on tray mats at stores nationwide, and donors will receive local specialty products and burger set coupons. It will also operate the "Gwanagol's summer" pop-up store for about five weeks in partnership with the youth mall in Cheongju's old downtown.
On the possibility of selling popular items year-round, Director Seong said, "We will make a decision after comprehensively reviewing sales trends, customer response, and stable procurement of materials and supplies." Regarding an overseas launch, Senior Director Sim said, "It's hard to specify countries, but we are preparing by leveraging our global network," adding, "There will be an opportunity to share results before long."