Starbucks Korea announced on Sunday that it expects to open at least 100 new stores in South Korea this year, continuing its steady expansion in Asia's fourth-largest economy.

Starbucks entered the South Korean market in 1999 through a partnership with local retail giant Shinsegae Group, opening its first store near Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

By the end of 2025, Starbucks operated 2,115 stores across South Korea, making it the company's third-largest market globally by store count, after the United States (16,911 stores) and China (8,011 stores). The company noted that it currently has 2,105 stores in Japan.

Over the past four years, Starbucks has increased its store count in South Korea by more than 100 locations annually. The number grew from 1,777 stores in 2022 to 1,893 in 2023, reaching 2,009 stores in 2024.