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What do Lee Jae-myung and convenience stores have in common? They both won big on election night.

Published: 04 Jun. 2025, 17:19 Updated: 04 Jun. 2025, 17:21

Busan resident Lee Som, 35, ordered pizza to eat while watching the vote count coverage for the presidential election, in this photo provided by Lee. The country held its 21st presidential election on June 3. [JOONGANG ILBO]

As Koreans tuned in to watch the 21st presidential election results on Tuesday night, many did so with snacks in one hand and beer in the other — turning the ballot count into an unexpected boost for the food retail industry.

Lee Som, 35, from Busan, tried to time the pizza delivery right for the start of the exit poll announcement.

“I ordered around 7:20 p.m. so I could eat while watching the results at 8 p.m.,” Lee said. “Usually delivery takes about 30 minutes, but this time it took closer to an hour.”

Yoon Ji-a, 29, from Gwangju, remembered the delays from the last presidential election and played it safe.

“Delivery was a nightmare back then, so this year I just picked up beer and snacks from a convenience store and watched the vote count broadcast,” Yoon said.

The unexpected bump in late-night cravings turned out to be a momentary windfall for food delivery services and convenience stores.

According to data released on Wednesday by several convenience store chains, demand for snacks and alcohol surged as viewers settled in for the evening’s coverage.

At Emart24, spirits sales jumped 40 percent compared to the previous week, with beer up 30 percent and wine not far behind at 29 percent. 7-Eleven saw a 40 percent rise in beer sales the same day, while ice cream and snack sales climbed 30 percent.

CU reported a 27.7 percent increase in alcohol sales over the prior week. Beer saw the sharpest growth at 33.2 percent, followed by makgeolli (Korean rice wine) at 19.4 percent and soju at 16.3 percent. Sales of snacks and ice cream also grew over 25 percent.

Gil Min-jeong, from Gyeonggi, eats fried chicken while watching the vote count coverage for the presidential election, in this photo provided by the reader. The country held its 21st presidential election on June 3. [JOONGANG ILBO]

GS25 noted that beer sales rose 44 percent, snack foods 43.4 percent, and its private-label “Ssonsal Chicken” saw a 58.6 percent spike in sales.

Delivery orders spiked as well. A 27-year-old employee at a pizza franchise told the JoongAng Ilbo that orders kept them baking until the last minute.

“We were swamped until close, definitely busier than usual, perhaps because of the election,” they said.

A spokesperson for a food delivery platform added, “Orders started picking up around 7 p.m., as voting was winding down. We saw a 15 percent increase compared to an average day.”

Data from the Baemin Trend Report, run by delivery giant Baedal Minjok, confirms the pattern: during last year’s 22nd parliamentary election, orders were up 15.4 percent above the yearly average.

People watch coverage of the vote count for Korea's 21st presidential election at a bar in Dong District, Gwangju, on June 3. [YONHAP]

Meanwhile, TV ratings for election night dropped compared to the 2022 presidential race.

Market tracker Nielsen Korea reported that the combined viewership across MBC, KBS and SBS reached 16.8 percent, down from 18.07 percent in 2022.

MBC led with 10.73 percent, while KBS and SBS drew 3.43 percent and 2.65 percent, respectively.

However, viewership on digital platforms surged. At 9:20 p.m., SBS had 160,000 live YouTube viewers on its vote count broadcast. MBC crossed 200,000 by 10 p.m.

“It wasn’t a planned event like the World Cup, and there weren’t any special promotions,” said a convenience store worker. “But with such a high voter turnout, people were genuinely interested in the results, and that showed in what they bought to watch it all unfold.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY NOH YU-RIM [[email protected]]