Jang Won-young’s Milk Tea Craze: Chinese Brand Chagee Sparks 4-Hour Queues and Early Sellouts
Creatrip Team
9 days ago
Chinese modern tea brand Chagee (차지) opened its first Korean stores on April 30 in Gangnam, Yongsan and Sinchon, triggering huge crowds and app crashes as fans chased the so-called “Jang Won-young milk tea” after the K-pop idol was seen drinking it. Some customers faced waits of up to 180 minutes and several outlets sold out early. Chagee, which began in Yunnan in 2017 and now runs about 7,000 global locations, plans to position itself as a premium beverage option in Korea, citing strong cafe culture and rising demand for healthier, premium drinks. Industry observers say this launch reflects a broader spread of Chinese F&B (C-food) into Korea — from hotpot and malatang to bubble tea — as young Koreans (MZ generation) increasingly adopt Chinese brands despite lingering anti-China sentiment. With multiple Chinese tea chains and other mainland franchises already establishing stores in prime Seoul districts, analysts expect competition in the milk tea market to intensify against incumbents like Gongcha.
