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Whatever Jun Ji-hyun eats

February 21, 2014

Chinese fried chicken businesses saved by Jun

Jun Ji-hyun. (Courtesy of SBS)

AI (avian influenza) has hit the poultry business in China, at least its fried chicken restaurants. But it was saved by hallyu (Korean wave) beauty Jun Ji-hyun’s line “When it snows, I gotta have Chi-maeck (chicken and beer),” in a recent hit drama “Man from Another Star,” Xinhua reported Wednesday.

China’s big cities such as Shanghai saw a sharp increase in their sales with customers not minding lining up for up to three hours to buy a bucket of fried chicken.

It also reported about a Hunan resident who has suffered irritated skin due to her fried chicken-only diet for eight straight days.

“Right before the Lunar New Year’s Day, we suffered a major dent in sales because of the outbreak of AI. This sudden happiness is a never-expected-surprise for us,” a local restaurant owner was quoted as saying.

Boosted by the current sales thanks to Jun, the restaurant owners are putting up huge posters and pictures of Jun at the entrance to attract more customers, it added.
Businesses related to Korea in general are seeing their market presence being expanded by the locals.

“Coffee shops, jjimjil-bang, or Korean sauna, is getting popular these days,” a local resident from Korea was quoted as saying.