Burger King joins the K-wave craze; holds the ketchup, adds in buldak

With BTS on playlists and K-dramas on loop, India’s fondness for all things Korean has quietly found its way onto the menu. Burger King’s new Korean-inspired offerings come just days after McDonald’s launched its own—proof that the K-wave is now flavouring fast food, one buldak burger at a time.

Burger King’s new burger leans into this heat but with nuance. Think a buldak-sauce (spicy hot sauce)-dunked patty complemented by a sesame-infused mayonnaise. The sweet-meets-spicy pairing isn’t accidental; it’s meant to challenge the idea that Korean food is all fire and no finesse. But, the focus does remain on the hotness and fire. 

“We worked on the research, insight, concept and product over the last six to eight months, and the launch finally came together this April,” says Kapil Grover, chief marketing officer, Burger King India.

Burger King saw the Korean wave rising in grocery aisles—Maggi and Knorr had already jumped in—but noticed a gap on the restaurant front. “Nobody in the restaurant business had rolled out an authentic Korean menu nationwide.”

Its research also spotted a shift: after years of value-seeking diners picking from Rs 99 meals and the Stunner Menu, there was now a growing appetite for premium.

Enter the limited-edition Korean Spicy Fest, where burgers—vegetarian or chicken—cost over Rs 200. “Right now, it’s all things Korean. We’re rolling it out for a limited time, then watching how the trend unfolds. Tastes change, and so will we. Maybe in three to six months, we’ll serve up a whole new craving.”

Grover isn’t losing sleep over McDonald’s getting to the Korean playbook first. “I don't think either of us were aware that we were going to do the same. The two propositions are very different, and we are leaning towards a more premium and authentic Korean experience. Let the consumer decide,” he remarks.

A 55-second ad for the Korean Spicy Fest shows all kinds of young people drowning in the K-Wave; there are K-Pop groovers, Manhwa lovers, K-Food lovers – all bowing down to Burger King’s new menu – but the consumption audience is wider than the communication audience.

“It’s like the Yamaha RX100,” Grover says. “You’d always see the young cool guy riding it, but everyone—even those pushing 50—wanted one. That’s what we’ve done here. The ad captures the energy and vibe people aspire to, even if they’re not living it day to day.”

Surprisingly, there’s no celebrity in sight this time—quite the shift from Burger King’s earlier headliner, Hrithik Roshan, whose campaign turned out to be a blockbuster for the brand. “It helped our brand scores quite dramatically,” Grover admits.

“We came to India in 2014, and only started advertising in 2017. That (Hrithik) campaign dropped right after Coronavirus with one clear goal: improve our strong brand recall.”

Coming back to the Korean menu—whether it’s at a Burger King table or your own couch—Grover just wants you to try it. “We’re channel-agnostic for this campaign,” he says.

That said, he’s happy to spotlight what’s new in-store. With over 500 restaurants now—60 to 70 of them added just in 2024—Burger King is showing off some upgrades: digital ordering screens at every outlet, and even table service.

The Korean menu may be an import, but Burger King’s palate is far from global influences only. Take the Whopper: globally, it’s all ketchup and mayo. In India, though, it gets a desi upgrade with sauces tailored to local taste buds.

Even the nuggets skip the tempura jacket seen elsewhere. “They’re crunchy nuggets,” says Grover, “developed from Indian insights—because our consumers love that textured oxymoron: crispy outside, juicy inside.”

When it comes to India, the Burger King global team is very accommodative. “India is a very different market. You do what is right for your market,” it tells Grover.