Who is named as the initial developer of yangnyeom chicken?

Yoon Jonggye is named as the initial developer of yangnyeom chicken. He devised the sauced fried-chicken style at his restaurant, Mek-si-can, in Daegu, Gyeongbuk.

According to the dish’s commonly cited origin story, Yoon noticed that customers found the crust of ordinary fried chicken too hard and scratchy. He coated the chicken with sauce to soften the crust, creating the sweet-and-spicy style now known as yangnyeom chicken.

Yoon’s role is sometimes confused with Yang Heekwon’s. Yang was an employee who drew on the recipe and helped commercialize it by founding Pelicana Chicken. Thus, Yoon is credited with the initial development, while Yang is associated with later commercialization and expansion.

The dish emerged during the rapid growth of South Korea’s fried-chicken industry. Korean fried chicken had already gained momentum by the late 1970s, and yangnyeom helped distinguish the country’s version through its crisp coating and strongly flavored sauce.