Milk has existed in Korea for quite a long time, as in most other countries. An orally transmitted folk tale says that Jumong (r. B.C. 37-B.C. 19), the founder of Goguryeo, was nursed on horse milk. Also, according to the "Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms," or the "Samguk Yusa," milk was offered to the king during special mealtimes. There are many more historical records about the history of drinking milk during Goryeo (918-1392) and Joseon (1392-1910) times. It was a special food consumed only by the royal families and by the upper echelons of society.

It's not an exaggeration to say that milk has now become a daily staple for the general public ever since 1937 when the Gyeongseong Milk Trade Association, the forerunner of Seoul Milk, was established in Jeongdong in central Seoul.

Renamed the Seoul Milk Trade Association in September 1945, Seoul Milk became the Seoul Dairy Cooperative, as it is now, in 1962 when it registered as a corporation. The cooperative consists of dairy ranchers who meet certain specific standards. As the ranchers can access their consumers and the market directly, they are always focusing their attention on making improvements in the quality of milk.


Over the past 79 years, Seoul Milk has never wavered from its resolution to produce the freshest milk for the people.

Seoul Milk has always produced First Grade A milk, going through regular quality tests at least twice per month. It also runs a Cold Chain System that offers information about every step of the milk production process, all available online, from the initial milking and milk collection through to sterilization, inspection, production and delivery. During each step, in addition, possible biological, chemical and physical hazards are tested under the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system. There are also Milk Masters, professional cow veterinarians, working to improve the quality of milk and to keep an eye on the wellbeing of the animals.

Known for its freshness, Seoul Milk has recently been succeeding in the mainland Chinese markets, too. It's exported to a number of cities in China, including Qingdao, Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian and Yanji. As of the end of last year in the Chinese market alone, the company sold around 40,000 200-milliliter packs of milk.


Seoul Milk has also strived to introduce a variety of types and flavors of milk. Its product line-up includes many flavored milks, from fruits to chocolate and coffee, in addition to the healthy black bean-flavored milk. The company's efforts in satisfying customers have ranged even more widely. Almost every product can be delivered to the customer's doorstep every morning. Thanks to the love people have for milk, for many years it was common to have a tiny "milk door" at the foot of many apartment doors for easy delivery.

Not only developing its range of dairy products, the company has also dedicated itself to the development of its packaging. The original glass bottles, rolled out at the inception of the company, were followed by plastic pyramid-shaped vinyl pouches in the 1970s. The milk was then contained in antiseptic packages during the 1980s and it was replaced with cartons and plastic bottles with handles in the 1990s. During the 2000s, the company introduced transparent plastic bottles, newly designed to make it easier to prevent milk from being contaminated with foreign substances. The addition of silver foil on the inside of the bottle maximized sterilization effects, extending its expiration date by five days or more.


In addition to milk and processed milk, Seoul Milk also produces many types of different dairy products and beverages, too, including powdered milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter and juice. These products are currently sold in around eight markets, including mainland China, the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore.

By Lee Seung-ah
Photos: Jeon Han, Seoul Diary Cooperative
Korea.net Staff Writers
slee27@korea.kr