South Koreans skipping kimchi doubles to 22.7% since 2010, data shows
Synopsis
Kimchi is conquering global menus — but at home in South Korea, nearly one in four people now goes an entire day without eating it. A 14-year study tracking over a decade of dietary data reveals that younger and wealthier Koreans are quietly drifting away from the dish that defines their cuisine, even as it becomes a global phenomenon.
Key Takeaways
The share of South Koreans reporting zero kimchi intake in a 24-hour period rose from 11.7% in 2010 to 22.7% in 2024 .
The steepest decline was among adults aged 20–39 , whose side-dish consumption of kimchi fell from 82% to 66% over the same period.
Non-consumption among women reached 24.8% in 2024, up from 13.1% in 2010; among men it rose from 10.2% to 20.6% .
More Koreans are eating kimchi as a cooked ingredient (e.g., kimchi jjigae ) rather than as a standalone side dish.
The lowest income group consumes kimchi at a higher rate than the highest income bracket, pointing to an income-linked dietary shift.
Researchers from Chung-Ang University , Jeju National University , and the World Institute of Kimchi called for public health strategies focused on balanced diets rather than kimchi promotion alone.
The share of South Koreans who reported eating no kimchi in a 24-hour period has nearly doubled — from 11.7% in 2010 to 22.7% in 2024 — even as the fermented dish enjoys record global popularity, according to a joint study released on 9 August 2025. The findings, drawn from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data spanning 14 years, point to a quiet but significant shift in how Koreans eat at home.
Key Findings From the Study
The research was conducted jointly by scholars from Chung-Ang University, Jeju National University, and the World Institute of Kimchi. Among men, the 24-hour non-consumption rate rose from 10.2% to 20.6%; among women, it climbed from 13.1% to 24.8% over the same period.
Across all age groups above 10 years, the rate of eating kimchi as a standalone side dish declined. The sharpest drop was recorded among those aged 20 to 39, whose consumption of kimchi as a side dish fell from 82% in 2010 to 66% in 2024 — a drop of 16 percentage points in under a decade and a half.
How Consumption Patterns Are Shifting
While fewer Koreans are eating kimchi as a traditional banchan (side dish), more are incorporating it as a cooked ingredient — in dishes such as kimchi jjigae (stew). This suggests the dish is not disappearing from Korean diets so much as migrating within them, from the side of the plate to the centre of the pot.
Socioeconomic factors also played a role, according to the study. The lowest income group showed a higher rate of kimchi consumption than the highest income bracket, indicating that dietary diversification is partly income-driven.
What Researchers Are Recommending
'The trend observed in kimchi consumption indicates broader shifts in overall meal composition and eating habits,' the joint research team said. 'Public health strategies for the future should move away from simply promoting kimchi consumption and shift to encouraging more balanced diets.'
The recommendation marks a notable pivot: rather than treating kimchi as a nutritional baseline, health authorities are being urged to address the wider dietary transition underway among younger and higher-income Koreans.
South Korea's Tourism Surplus Hits Post-Pandemic High
Separately, industry data released on the same day showed that South Korea's travel account swung to a surplus of $596.6 million in June, a dramatic reversal from a deficit of $846.8 million in the same month a year earlier, according to the Korea Tourism Organisation. The figure is the second highest since October 2008, when the country recorded a tourism surplus of $661.5 million.
Total tourism revenue for June reached $2.78 billion, with each foreign visitor spending an average of $1,397. The country's tourism balance had remained in deficit for 72 consecutive months from March 2020 before turning positive in March 2025, buoyed by the global spread of Korean pop culture.
Together, the two data sets paint a country navigating a cultural paradox: its food and entertainment exports are more popular abroad than ever, even as domestic consumption habits quietly diverge from tradition.
Point of View
The dishes most central to national identity are often the first to be deprioritised by younger generations. The income gradient in this data is particularly telling — kimchi consumption is now inversely correlated with wealth, which complicates any public health messaging that treats it as a universal dietary good. Researchers are right to push for a 'balanced diet' framing, but policymakers will need to grapple with whether the decline is a nutritional problem or simply a cultural evolution. The global export of kimchi's image has, paradoxically, outpaced its domestic consumption trajectory.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many South Koreans are not eating kimchi daily?
As of 2024, approximately 22.7% of South Koreans reported eating no kimchi in a 24-hour period, nearly double the 11.7% recorded in 2010, according to a study based on Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data.
Which age group has seen the biggest drop in kimchi consumption?
Adults aged 20 to 39 recorded the sharpest decline, with kimchi side-dish consumption falling from 82% in 2010 to 66% in 2024 — a drop of 16 percentage points over 14 years.
Why are South Koreans eating less kimchi?
Researchers attribute the trend to broader shifts in meal composition and eating habits, including dietary diversification driven by rising incomes and changing food preferences among younger Koreans. Socioeconomic data also shows that higher-income groups consume less kimchi than lower-income groups.
Are South Koreans stopping eating kimchi altogether?
Not entirely. While fewer Koreans eat kimchi as a traditional side dish, more are using it as a cooked ingredient in dishes like kimchi jjigae (stew). The shift is more about how kimchi is consumed than whether it is consumed at all.
What do researchers recommend based on these findings?
The joint research team from Chung-Ang University , Jeju National University , and the World Institute of Kimchi recommended that public health strategies move away from simply promoting kimchi and instead focus on encouraging more balanced diets overall.
