SEOUL - For the second consecutive year, meat consumption in South Korea has exceeded that of rice, a recent report indicates.
According to Yonhap News Agency, findings released Saturday by the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI), the average South Korean consumed 60.6 kilograms of meat last year, marking a 1.3 percent increase from the 59.8 kilograms recorded the previous year. This figure surpasses the per-capita rice intake, which was documented at 56.4 kilograms.
The report anticipates a continued rise in meat consumption, projecting an increase to 61.4 kilograms by 2028 and 65.4 kilograms by 2033. The growth in meat consumption is primarily attributed to a greater frequency of dining out and a shift toward Western eating habits among South Koreans.