McDonald's Korea moves into the Taepyeong-ro era with new headquarters

McDonald's Korea has relocated and expanded its headquarters to Buyang Taepyeong Building on Taepyeong-ro in Jung-gu, Seoul, as it accelerates efforts to achieve its "2030 Vision" — a target of 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) in sales and 500 stores in operation.

The company held a relocation ceremony Monday, attended by Chief Executive Officer Kim Ki-won and about 150 employees. "Moving to a new office means more than simply changing locations," Kim said, encouraging staff. "Let us begin another leap forward from this new space."

After operating its headquarters out of Jongno Tower for seven years, McDonald's Korea has equipped the new building with a training center for talent development and a test kitchen for menu development.

The centerpiece of the new headquarters is the Hamburger University Education Center, which features a training hall capable of accommodating 130 students at once. The company plans to supplement the global headquarters' curriculum with its own programs tailored to the domestic market and employee needs. McDonald's Korea aims to hold more than 65 training sessions a year through globally certified instructors and produce more than 1,500 graduates annually.

A test kitchen for menu development will also open at the McDonald's Taepyeong Building store, located on the below-ground floors of the new headquarters, to strengthen the company's menu development capabilities in line with consumer trends and demand. The company has also nearly doubled its meeting spaces compared with the previous office to foster collaboration and communication among employees, and has added rest areas including a cafeteria, a wellness room and massage booths.

"We will support our employees in communicating and growing more actively in the new space, and work toward realizing our mid- to long-term 2030 vision," a McDonald's Korea official said.