McDonald's Korea has relocated its headquarters to Taepyeong-ro in Seoul's Jung District, expanding facilities for staff training and new menu development. The move is intended to accelerate a medium- to long-term growth strategy aimed at reaching 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion) in sales and 500 stores nationwide by 2030.
The company said on the 13th that it had moved its headquarters from Jongno Tower in Seoul's Jongno District to the Booyoung Taepyung Building in Jung District. A ceremony marking the relocation was held the previous day, attended by about 150 executives and employees including Kim Ki-won, chief executive of McDonald's Korea. The company left Jongno Tower after seven years for a new office with strengthened training and research and development functions.
The new building houses a Hamburger University training center that can accommodate up to 130 people at a time. McDonald's Korea plans to add its own programs reflecting the characteristics of the domestic dining market to the global headquarters' existing curriculum, running more than 65 training sessions a year for store and head office staff. The goal is to produce more than 1,500 graduates annually.
The company has also set up research facilities for new menu development. A test kitchen for menu research and development has been installed at the newly opened McDonald's Taepyung Building outlet in the basement of the headquarters. The facility is designed to strengthen new product development and menu competitiveness in line with consumer preferences and shifts in dining trends.
Office space has been redesigned to improve collaboration and employee convenience. The interior design incorporates the Golden Arches, McDonald's signature symbol, while meeting space has been nearly doubled. Rest facilities for employees include a cafeteria, a wellness room and massage booths.
McDonald's Korea said it will use the relocation as a springboard to speed up new store openings, upgrades to existing outlets and efforts to strengthen menu competitiveness. The company plans to systematically train the workforce needed for store expansion and broaden its menu development base to support its 2030 vision.
"Moving our office means more than simply changing location," Kim said at the ceremony. "Let us begin another leap forward in this new space."