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William Peecher, left, senior vice president of FGE International, shakes hands with Hanwha Plaza director Kim Dong-sun after signing an agreement at a hotel in Seoul on Wednesday.Photo courtesy of Hanwha Plaza
SEOUL, October 7 (UPI) — American fast-food chain Five Guys Burgers and Fries plans to open its first store in Seoul early next year in partnership with Hanwha Plaza, according to Hanwha.
The agreement was signed with the Virginia-based burger franchise on Wednesday, and the date and location of the first store has yet to be determined.
Hanwha Galleria, a luxury retailer owned by the Hanwha Group, plans to open more than 15 Five Guys stores over the next five years.
The original Five Guys restaurant debuted in Virginia in 1986. The Murrell family, along with five brothers, lead the business, which focuses on hamburgers, hot dogs and french fries.
In the early 2000s, the company began franchising, including global expansion. Currently, there are more than 1,700 Five Guys stores in operation worldwide, with another 1,500 in development.
South Korea will become the fifth Asian country with a fast-growing brand after Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Malaysia.
This will be the first transaction led by Hanwha Plaza director Kim Dong-sun, the third son of the chairman of Hanwha Jin Sheng-you.
Kim was indicted in 2017 for assaulting a lawyer at a dinner party and resigned from Hanwha. He has been involved in similar cases twice before.
In 2019, however, he returned to management and started to lead Hanwha Plaza’s new business strategy group in February.
With the addition of the Five, competition in the burger industry is expected to intensify as McDonald’s, Burger King and Shake Shack operate in South Korea.
In particular, Shake Shack, launched in South Korea in 2016 by food giant SPC Group, successfully targeted the high-end niche burger market. Currently, there are 23 Shake Shacks nationwide.
Meanwhile, BHC, South Korea’s leading chicken franchise, is gearing up to open U.S. fast-food chain Super Duper Burgers in South Korea and a branch in Seoul later this year.
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