Mukja Korean Fried Chicken owner Sean Chang's story

Sean Chang's Mukja Korean Fried Chicken is a popular staple in Midtown. But the tragedy-fraught story behind its launch is something very few know.

ATLANTA — If you’ve driven through Midtown Atlanta, you’ve likely passed by Mukja Korean Fried Chicken.

But very few know the inspirational story behind its conception; One that includes a near-death experience for owner Sean Chang.

Chang said his concept for a Korean-inspired fried chicken restaurant was inspired by his own struggle with identity. He was born in California, and has spent the past 17 years in Georgia. But he said his love for cooking came largely from the Korean influence in his family.

“Cooking has been such a integral part of my upbringing, especially with my dad's side of the family from Korea," he said. "When I'm in Korea, I'm an American. When I am here in America. I'm Korean. But at the same time, there is this happy middle place that I am that can be celebrated. That's the whole point of this concept."

But Chang didn't always foresee becoming a restaurateur. He enrolled at the University of Georgia with a full-ride scholarship, on track to become a doctor. 

In January 2018 when he was 18 years old and exhausted from studying for finals, Chang fell asleep at the wheel of his car.

It was a moment that changed his life forever.

“I remember everything," he said. "The car was flying. It felt like those action movies in slow motion. I said a quick little a little prayer. I had a very overwhelming sensation of 'hey, you're going to be all right. Stop freaking out. Let's try to not die.'"

Chang did survive the single-vehicle crash. But a spinal cord injury left him paralyzed from the waist down.

“I really prayed about it a lot, I thought about what did I want to do with my life?" Chang recalled. "I have a second chance at life. I decided, hey, I want to explore cooking. I don't know what it's going to look like being a paraplegic, but let's give it a shot.”

That shot led him to pursuing a hospitality degree at Georgia State University.

His senior project was a Korean-American fried chicken concept. The same concept that would soon come to fruition as Mujka.

“I said, why not have it here for the people in the city?” he said.

Chang and his co-founder and friend Peter Chung signed the lease and prepared to open, after months of planning. Only to be reminded, yet again, that plans have nothing on fate.

“We were getting ready to open, and then the pandemic hit," Chang said. " It was a complete nightmare. We were like crying and praying every day, because we're going to lose all our money without even getting to launch our concept.”

But Chang had long ago decided defeat wasn’t an option.

“I'm just going to keep moving forward, be optimistic, take every day a little at a time and be appreciative of what I've been given," he said. "With that mindset, you can accomplish anything."

And he did.

Signs urging pandemic precautions still sit below a wall of photos of the smiling customers who saw them through.

In 2022, the Georgia Restaurant Association named Chang the restaurateur rookie of the year. 

“It's such a great feeling that a college student who had a dream to cook for people now has regulars," Chang said. "What a humbling experience. That is something that I'm so grateful for every day."

Chang said he's learned that life will always serve the unexpected. But that’s okay with him, because he knows change is inevitable. 

So he figures, he might as well stay open.

Mukja Korean Fried Chicken is located at 933 Peachtree St NE Suite 951 in Midtown Atlanta.