In Korean chimaek, fried chicken is paired with beer. The name combines chi-, from Korean-style fried chicken, with -maek, from maekju, the Korean word for beer.
Chimaek is usually served as anju, food eaten with alcoholic drinks, and may feature plain fried chicken or spicy yangnyeom chicken. The pairing became especially prominent as Korean fried-chicken restaurants expanded and draft beer grew popular in the 1970s.
The 2002 Korea–Japan World Cup helped turn chimaek into a major part of Korean sports-viewing culture. Fans gathered in public places to watch matches while eating chicken and drinking beer, giving the combination nationwide visibility.
A common mix-up is soju: it is another famous Korean alcoholic drink, but chicken plus soju is not the defining meaning of chimaek. Beer is the canonical answer, even though diners may also order other drinks.