Cheese consumption continues to grow in South Korea
The US supplies 34% of Korea's cheese orders
7 January 2025
2 minute read
By: Korea has limited domestic cheese product, and thus relies heavily on imports to meet consumption demands, according to a recent US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report.
The United States is the leading supplier of cheese to Korea, holding 34% market share in 2023. However, there has been increased competition from other countries including New Zealand, Germany and Denmark.
Over 50% of cheese imports to Korea are of mozzarella cheese, with other popular cheeses being cheddar, cream cheese and processed cheese.
The cheese market is expected to continue growing as cheese becomes increasingly integrated in Korea’s dietary culture. As domestic cheese production is limited, imports have increased to match the growing demand in Korea for cheese products. As dairy products have seen record inflation rates, the domestic cheese market lacks competitiveness.
Mozzarella is the most imported cheese into Korea, followed by cheddar.
As a variety of Western elements have become more popular in South Korea, Korea's food service market has integrated more Western cuisine such as burgers, pasta and pizzas and several foreign fast-food brands have opened branches in South Korea. This addition of foreign food in the market has created more opportunities for fusion cuisine to flourish where traditional Korean food is combined with ingredients from other foreign cuisines. Notably, dairy ingredients like cream and cheese have been incorporated into Korean dishes that are normally very spicy to reduce the level of spiciness and add a layer of creaminess to balance out the flavour in the dish.
Currently, the United States has 34% import market share, followed by New Zealand and Germany.
