The corridor leading into the main hall of the “Flameground by Burger King” flagship store in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul. BKR A red-brick building stands out amid the trendy stores of Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul. Soon, it will become home to Burger King’s first flagship store in the world. “Flameground by Burger King," set to open Sept. 10, brings Burger King’s identity to life through its interior, while also offering a private course-dining experience that deconstructs the Whopper. But why would the 73-year-old American fast-food chain choose Seoul for its first flagship? “Competition is fierce in the Korean market, and [surviving here] requires efforts on multiple fronts,” said Lee Dong-hyeong, CEO of BKR, which operates Burger King in Korea, at a media event held at the flagship store on Wednesday. 오션파라다이스게임 Collaborations, marketing and other brand experiences that remain relatively nascent in some overseas markets are already highly developed in Korea, pushing brands to constantly find new ways to stand out. For Burger King, it was the chain's first-ever flagship store. The move also comes as Burger King reaches a new scale in Korea. Lee expects the chain’s annual sales to reach around 1.1 trillion won ($790 million) this year, a 23.3 percent jump from last year, with its store count reaching around 600. “The flagship experience is Burger King’s next step,” Lee said. Multiple locations were considered before settling on Seongsu, owing to its status as one of Seoul’s trendiest neighborhoods and its industrial heritage. Flagship's main hall BKR The store brings the brand’s signature “flame-grilled” identity from the building’s exterior to the main hall. The corridor leading into the interior takes design cues from Burger King’s broiler, the cooking equipment behind its signature flame-grilled flavor. 야마토게임동영상 The main hall uses red brick, metal, charred wood, charcoal and warm lighting, gradually drawing visitors into what the company describes as its world of flame. Five emerging Korean artists were invited to interpret fire and the cooking process through installations, which are displayed throughout the store. K-Cube Galbi Burger sampled at the media event WOO JI-WON Three burgers will be sold exclusively at Flameground. The K-Cube Galbi Burger, priced at 13,900 won, the 12,900-won Memphis BBQ Burger and the 13,900-won Philly Cheesesteak, which replaces the conventional patty with thinly sliced rib-eye beef. The K-Cube Galbi Burger sampled at the media event was a meat-on-meat indulgence. The juicy Whopper patty and cubes of galbi paired well together, with the spicy-sweet galbi sauce cutting through what could otherwise have become a heavy double-meat combination. 신천지릴게임소스 But Flameground’s biggest departure from the conventional Burger King experience comes at "The Gastro – Flameground," a course-dining concept built around the chain’s Whopper. The idea is essentially to take the burger apart. “We’re not trying to create a completely different Whopper, but to let diners experience the same Whopper from a different perspective,” said Choi Young-jin, head of BKR’s Product Innovation Center. The Gastro" course-dining menu BKR It deconstructs the Whopper into its individual components, including the patty and bun, and turns each into the centerpiece of a course. The course costs 89,000 won per person and is available by reservation only, with each session limited to 10 diners. There will also be Flameground-exclusive merchandise, including key rings and cup coasters, which BKR believes could become a draw in its own right. “Burger King fans might even come from overseas just to get them,” Choi said. BY WOO JI-WON [] weight: 70