If you’ve watched any Korean drama, you’ve probably seen this scene: the main character comes home from work, orders a whole fried chicken and a cold beer, and eats late into the night. International viewers often ask the same question — “How do Koreans eat like this every day and stay so thin?” According to international statistics, Korea’s obesity rate is actually one of the lowest among OECD countries. But Korea’s own health authorities report the opposite — that one in three Korean adults is obese. Both figures come from official sources, so why are they so different? In this article, we’ll break down the real data behind chimaek culture and what Korea’s obesity statistics actually mean.
Is Chimaek Really Korea’s “National Late-Night Snack”?
Korea’s late-night eating culture is more common than you might think. According to one survey, about half of Koreans eat a late-night snack at least once a week. Among those who do, 78% said chicken was their top choice, and delivery app data for late-night hours shows the same ranking: chicken first, followed by pizza, Korean food, Chinese food, and jokbal (braised pork feet). To meet this demand, some delivery platforms have extended their operating hours until 3 a.m., turning the late-night market into a real competitive battleground.
Late-Night Eating Isn’t Just an Adult Habit Anymore
This habit isn’t limited to adults. In a survey of 604 high school students, 6 out of 10 said they eat a late-night snack at least once a week, while only 27% said they never do. Delivery was the most common way to get a late-night snack, accounting for 67.8% of responses. In other words, chimaek isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a measurable, everyday pattern in Korean life.
Is It True That “Korea Has the Lowest Obesity Rate”?
Here’s where things get interesting. According to 2024 OECD self-reported obesity data, Korea recorded the lowest rate among the countries surveyed at 5.2%, though this is up from just 1.8% in 2008. Based on this number alone, it might seem like Koreans really can eat chimaek every night without gaining weight.
But a 2025 report from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) tells a very different story. As of 2024, 34.4% of Korean adults were classified as obese — a 30.8% increase compared to 26.3% a decade earlier in 2014. A separate report based on physical examination data found that the adult obesity rate has plateaued at around 38% over the past three years. That means more than one in three adults is now considered obese.
Same Country, Different Numbers — It All Depends on the Yardstick
This gap exists mainly because of how obesity is defined. Korea applies the Asia-Pacific BMI standard established in 2000, which classifies a BMI of 25 or higher as obese, while countries following WHO guidelines classify a BMI between 25 and 30 as overweight and only 30 or higher as obese. In other words, the claim that “Korea has the world’s lowest obesity rate” is only true when measured against the international BMI 30 standard. By Korea’s own domestic health standard (BMI 25), the picture looks completely different. For context, in 2024 Korea’s National Health Insurance Service Research Institute published a 21-year study tracking 8.47 million people, suggesting the current BMI 25 cutoff might be more appropriately set at 27 — showing that even Korea’s own obesity standard is still an open topic of debate.
So, Is Chimaek Really Behind Korea’s Rising Obesity?
Looking deeper into the KDCA data reveals an interesting pattern. The obesity rate among men was 41.4%, about 1.8 times higher than women at 23.0%. Among men in their 30s, the rate reached 53.1%, and among men in their 40s, 50.3% — meaning roughly one in every two men in these age groups is obese. These are also the age groups most exposed to Korea’s company-dinner, late-night eating, and drinking culture.
Of course, you can’t pin obesity entirely on chimaek. But repeatedly eating high-calorie, high-sodium food late at night and then going straight to bed can affect more than just your weight — it can also impact digestion. In fact, medical experts have noted a rise in cases of constipation and anal conditions among Koreans in their 20s and 30s for whom delivery food and late-night snacking have become a daily habit.
What K-Drama Fans and Travelers Should Keep in Mind
So, is enjoying chimaek itself a bad thing? Not at all. Trying chimaek once during a trip to Korea can be one of the most enjoyable parts of the experience. The real issue isn’t doing it “once” — it’s doing it “every day.” What Korea’s official data really shows is that Koreans themselves are now having to take a serious look at how late-night eating and delivery food affect their health. Enjoying a chimaek scene on screen and honestly assessing your own eating habits are two very different things.
If reading this made you wonder, “Wait, how are my own eating habits?” — now is a good time to take a closer look at your late-night and drinking patterns. A calorie tracker or diet management app can help you see exactly how many calories and how much sodium you’re consuming over a week. In our next article, we’ll break down the actual calorie and sodium content of a classic chimaek set — half a fried chicken and a glass of draft beer — and compare it side by side with a typical American fast-food combo. Once you see the numbers for yourself, you’ll know exactly what to cut back on instead of just feeling vaguely guilty about “chimaek making you fat.”
