The Result of the Survey on the Korean Food Industry for the Year 2024   

Sejong, 31 July 2025 — From September to November 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Korean Food Promotion Institute (KFPI) conduced a survey on the Korean food industry for the year 2024. 

According to the findings announced on 29 July 2025, in the case of eateries and restaurants as well as drinking establishments serving Korean food and beverages as major food items, the number of such businesses and the sales of Korean food and beverages served by such businesses declined by 2.1% and 3.9% respectively from the same period a year earlier. However, the number of Korean food and beverage manufacturing businesses and the sales of Korean food and beverage products increased by 3.5% and 17.1% respectively from the same period a year earlier.

According to the definition stipulated in the Korean Food Promotion Act of the Republic of Korea, the Korean food industry means an industry of Korean food-related planning, development, production, distribution, spending, export, etc. The survey on the Korean food industry was carried out for Korean food eateries and restaurants, drinking establishments, and businesses of manufacturing Korean food and beverages. 

According to the findings of the survey, the total number of businesses in the Korean food industry stood at 504,657 in 2024. Specifically, the number of businesses of Korean food and beverage service was 460,219, and the number of manufacturers of Korean food and beverage products was 44,438. 

The number of those working in the Korean food industry was 1,300,236 persons in total. The figure was broken down into 1,085,950 persons for those working in businesses serving Korean food and beverages as major food items, as well as 214,286 persons for those working in Korean food and beverage manufacturing businesses.

The total sales for the year 2023 generated by businesses in the Korean food industry reached KRW 152.9848 trillion, up by 7.2% from KRW 142.6788 trillion of the year 2022. The total sales figure was divided into KRW 97.0308 trillion for businesses serving Korean food and beverages as major food items and KRW 55.9539 trillion for Korean food and beverage manufacturing businesses. 

Importantly, sales in Korean food items generated by food and beverage service businesses and by Korean food and beverage manufacturing businesses accounted for 92.7% and 94.2%, respectively, of the total sales of KRW 152.9848 trillion generated by businesses in the Korean food industry.

Sales in Korean food items for the year 2023 reached KRW 136.8786 trillion, up by 2.4% from KRW 133.7023 trillion of the year 2022. Specifically, of the total sales for the year 2023, sales in Korean food and beverages served by food and beverage service businesses was KRW 90.1141 trillion, and sales in Korean food and beverage products produced by Korean food and beverage manufacturing businesses was KRW 46.7645 trillion.

In the survey on the Korean food industry, 80.7% of the respondents said that Korean food and beverages served by food and beverage service businesses were close to traditional Korean food and beverages. This figure is down by 1.9% from 82.6 of the year 2023. This shows an increase in consumers’ perception that such Korean food and beverages are close to fusion Korean cuisine.