Vegetarian population distribution South Korea as of December 2021, by type

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in December of 2021, almost 80 percent of respondents who answered to follow a vegetarian diet classified themselves as flexitarian. A flexitarian diet is defined as being mostly plant-based and only occasionally allowing the consumption of meat and other animal products. In the same survey, only 0.5 percent of respondents that ate plant-based food considered themselves vegan. Although this number seems small, there is a notable growth in the vegan population in South Korea. Most people who had plant-based diets followed no strict vegetarian or vegan diet but rather a partially vegetarian diet. Nevertheless, partial and more restrictive vegetarian diets accounted only for a small share of the population. br>

Which plant-based products can be found in South Korea?

While some vegetarian diets are very similar to a general omnivorous diet, such as flexitarian or pescatarian variants which limit only the frequency of consumption for a certain food group, other diets are more restrictive. Animal product substitutes have become an important part of vegetarian diets, as they offer a broader choice of ingredients and meals in addition to providing all of the necessary nutrients. Prominent trends in recent years in South Korea are the growing market for meat substitutes as well as the equally increasing demand for dairy alternatives. Soy-based products, such as tofu and soymilk, always have been a staple in the Korean market for a long time, but now other alternatives like egg substitutes and nut or oat milk are finding their way into the shopping bags of consumers.

 What are the reasons for eating plant-based or vegetarian diets?

According to another survey conducted in 2021, over 70 percent of respondents stated that they had tried plant-based substitute products before regardless of their general diet, reflecting the high awareness about such products in South Korea. The main reason for choosing plant-based alternatives was the belief that plant-based foods were healthier than others. Other important reasons were animal welfare and environmental concerns connected to livestock farming. Those two reasons were especially prominent among people of the younger MZ generations. The hurdles plant-based foods faced in the South Korean market were mostly tied to the taste or texture of the product and the relatively higher prices.