Import value of meat to South Korea 2014-2023

In 2023, the value of meat and edible meat offal imports to South Korea amounted to around 6.63 billion U.S. dollars. That year, around the majority of those imports originated in the United States.

Consumption

In 2018, the total sales volume of meat was at around 2.6 million tons, around half of that being pork and around one quarter being poultry. Over 28 kilograms of pork was consumed per person in South Korea in 2022. Roughly three fourth of meat consumed in foodservice was consumed in restaurants in 2018, valuing to around 3.64 billion U.S. dollars.

Consumer attitudes

While the number of meat-avoiders in South Korea is increasing slightly, the market is still unaffected. The retail sales of free from meat products in South Korea was at 462.6 million U.S. dollars in 2018 and is not forecasted to decrease significantly until 2023.
In South Korea, online grocery shopping is increasingly popular. Nevertheless, while a growing number of consumers are open to the thought of buying their groceries online, many are still reluctant when it comes to ordering fresh items, like meat and seafood. In a survey in November 2021, half of respondents stated that they were hesitant to purchase seafood online.