Korean fried chicken might reflect modern Korea, but it taps into the country’s traditional cultural currents. Throughout Korea’s history, notes Ambassador Stephens, Korean culture has assimilated different influences. “There was a great deal of cultural interaction among these northeast Asian countries,” she says. China brought Neo-Confucianism and Buddhism, while Japanese rule at the turn of the century left an indelible impact. This constant engagement lent its own characteristics to Korean society, strengthening the nation’s proficiency at adapting outside influences and making them their own.
The Korean War (1950–53) was one such defining event for Korean cuisine. While the origins of Korean fried chicken aren’t strictly known, many Korean newspapers trace its beginnings to the war. Different origin stories abound. One claims that fried chicken was served in the mess halls of U.S. military bases in Korea, popularizing it more broadly. Another story claims that, on Thanksgiving and with nary a turkey in site, American GIs and their Korean counterparts celebrated with fried chicken. And yet another origin story credits Black American GIs with introducing the Southern staple to locals. Primary sources are scant, however, in buttressing any version of the GI’s-brought-fried-chicken-to-Korea theory.
Some follow the roots of fried chicken back even further—Korea’s oldest written cookbook, dating back to 1459, carries a related recipe. Author Jeon Sun-ui, the chief medical officer to three kings during the Joseon dynasty, describes a recipe for pogye, where sliced and seasoned chicken is fried in hot oil. At the time, the dish was only available to the yangban, or traditional ruling class—a far shift from what Korean fried chicken would become.
Ambassador Stephens believes the Korean War theory might be closer to the truth, noting that, “When the war ended in armistice in 1953, [the United States established] an enduring presence which continues to this day.” This enduring American military presence, more so than the war itself, would have brought bases equipped with commissaries and a military exchange. As South Korea experienced a severe grain and meat shortage in the years following the war, American food geared toward the American soldier’s tastes found its way to the black-market economy and, once there, began shaping Korean palates as well.
American policy also shaped South Korea’s postwar cuisine. President Dwight Eisenhower signed the “Food for Peace” program into law in 1954, which allowed him to authorize the shipment of surplus commodities to “friendly” countries suffering from food shortages. According to the Korea Times, the program brought fifty to sixty tons of rice, wheat, and barley into the country, the equivalent of 40 percent of Korea’s domestically-grown counterparts.