McDonald's Pulls Korea Corn Burger After Stone Complaints
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- McDonald's Korea halted nationwide sales of the Chungju corn cheese croquette burger as of July 30 at 8pm after customers reported finding small stones
- The burger launched July 9 and was originally scheduled to remain on sale through August 12; more than 1 million units had been sold before the recall
- The item was the sixth menu launch in McDonald's "Taste of Korea" series, introduced in 2021 to highlight regional Korean ingredients and support farming communities
- A McDonald's Korea official said company policy requires suspending sales once three or more similar complaints are received, adding there are no plans to bring the burger back
- McDonald's Korea is investigating the source of the particles alongside the corn growers and suppliers based in Chungju, North Chungcheong province
Why it matters: The pulled burger was a million-unit seller built specifically to champion regional Korean farming communities — now the Chungju corn suppliers are under investigation for contamination, directly undercutting the brand's local-sourcing pitch behind the "Taste of Korea" series.
