A file picture shows a client picking pre-packaged slices of raw fish in Pohang. [Yonhap Photo]
The long line of cars resembled that of South Korea's iconic drive-thru COVID-19 screening centers that became a global trend. The only difference was that fishermen were only wearing rubber aprons, gloves and masks as their protective gear instead of full hazmat suits.
The National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives benchmarked the strategy in Pohang to open drive-thru services at two joint markets in Seoul, one from March 26 and the other from April 6. Clients can make pre-orders with a smartphone app or purchase raw fish at a discounted price on the spot.
Previously, drive-thru food services in South Korea were mostly operated by foreign fast food stores such as Burger King and McDonald's. However, after the COVID-19 epidemic has swept over the country in February, drive-thru services for meals gained popularity among consumers who favored untact or non-face-to-face services seen as swift and convenient.
Another type of traditional Korean menu caught the attention of online users last week when a picture showing a drive-thru restaurant serving " Doeji Guk-bap." a meal combo that consists of bowels of pork broth soup and steamed rice together with side dishes including kimchi was uploaded onto online communities.
A restaurant in the southern city of Daegu, the epicenter of South Korea's mass coronavirus infection, opened a drive-thru service to sell a pre-packaged full course menu of "Galbi," a Korean style barbecued pork rib menu accompanied with rice, soybean soup. A heat pack was used to keep the barbecue menu warm.
Consumers showed a positive reaction to drive-thru stores serving Korean menus. "I was craving for a meal of Galbi after staying at home for weeks. I drove to the restaurant as soon as I read about it online and the meal was very satisfying," Jeong Hae-soon, a 28-year-old resident living in Daegu told Aju News. "The barbecued pork menu brought a huge change to my self-quarantine diet that consisted of instant noodles and other instant menus," she said.
Other forms of drive-thru services have become popular. Local farmers' unions have held drive-thru marketplaces to sell crops while tens of public libraries operate drive-thru book rental services for book lovers who can make reservation using smartphones and pick up books while being seated in their cars.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
