Work

Immigrants’ consumption choices: evidence from Korea’s food service industry

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study addresses three key questions: Are immigrants positively associated with the food service industry? Which restaurant categories are they linked to, and why? These questions have rarely been explored within a unified analytical framework. This study examines them in the context of South Korea—a traditionally monoethnic nation that has experienced significant immigration growth since the 1988 Seoul Olympics. This trend suggests a potential connection between the growing immigrant population, the diversification of culinary culture, and the transformation of South Korea’s food service landscape. By using a 10-year panel dataset covering all districts of South Korea, we estimate the effects of immigration on the number of restaurants. We find that immigrants do not significantly affect the overall number of restaurants or foreign food establishments. Instead, they are more strongly associated with low-cost, time-efficient restaurant categories, whereas native Koreans exhibit broader preferences across a wider range of restaurant types.

Source: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-04659-5

Authors: Yinhua Quan, Youngjune Kim, Jeongbin Im

Institutions: University of Science and Technology of China, Kangwon National University, Seoul National University

Language: English

Topic: Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,890