McDonald's 'Chungju Chewy Corn Cheese Croquette Burger,' which set a remarkable record of selling 1 million units within two weeks of its launch and gained popularity, faced a shocking end with early sales termination on July 30, 2026, due to consecutive complaints about 'biting down on stones.'
McDonald's new menu item, the 'Chungju Chewy Corn Cheese Croquette Burger,' had its sales terminated early at 8 p.m. on July 30 at all nationwide stores. Although the product had been explosively popular, the decisive cause for the sales suspension was a series of customer complaints about 'stone particles being bitten down on' while consuming the product.
This burger made its debut on July 9 as the sixth menu item commemorating the fifth anniversary of the launch of the 'Taste of Korea' project. With its focus on Chungju chewy corn, a regional specialty, as a win-win collaboration menu and its unique flavor, it surpassed 1 million cumulative sales within two weeks of launch, gaining tremendous popularity. However, momentum came to a halt in just 20 days or so. With sales completely suspended due to the 'stone-biting' issue, McDonald's faced an unprecedented crisis.
McDonald's Korea took preemptive measures immediately upon receiving customer complaints. A McDonald's Korea official stated that sales were suspended in accordance with the principle that 'product sales are preemptively discontinued if three or more identical reports are received.' The burger was originally scheduled to be sold until August 12, 2026, but was withdrawn from the market early, prioritizing customer safety above all else.