App-based ride service provider Uber Technologies says it is planning to launch its on-demand restaurant delivery service UberEats in South Korea.

UberEats Korea will partner with restaurants, with ordering conducted on the company’s web site or with a smartphone app.

“The company is preparing the local launch of UberEats,” said a spokesman for Uber Korea, the local unit of Uber, on the condition of anonymity. “But at the moment, we have not decided on the exact launch date.”

Industry sources expect the UberEats Korea delivery service to be introduced within the year.

UberEats Korea is expected to join other local delivery apps such as Yogiyo, FoodFly and Baedal Minjok. Baedal Minjok is the market leader with more than 50 per cent market share, followed by Yogiyo and Baedaltong, which are both owned by Germany-based Delivery Hero.

Ordering food by phone is commonplace in South Korea. However, delivery apps have become increasingly popular and now take up nearly 15 per cent of the total food delivery market which is estimated at around 12 trillion won (US$10.5 billion) annually.

UberEats was launched as a delivery pilot in Los Angeles in 2014. Since then, it has expanded to 58 cities. The service also exists in other major Asian cities including Bangkok, Tokyo and Taipei.

• Original reporting by Yonhap, via Korea Bizwire.