Quick to cook, cost effective and wide variety: South Koreans choose ready made meals

Less time in the kitchen in preference of  time dedicated to personal development or spent with loved ones.  Since 2010, the market has grown by an annual average of 23%.  It will reach 10 thousand billion won (7.5 billion euros) by 2023.

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - More and more South Koreans are choosing to buy pre-cooked and packaged meals - also known as "Home meal replacements" (HMRs).  The choice is motivated in part by the convenience in terms of time, but also by reasonable prices and the quality of the food.  In the last decade, it is above all the greater possibilities of choice and the evolution in consumer tastes that have favored the considerable increase in the demand for this kind of food.

In general, today's South Koreans are choosing less time in the kitchen in preference for the time devoted to personal development or spent with loved ones.  Also advances in favor of women in gender equality and co-parenting trends among couples are promoting the local HMRs market.  Since 2010, this has grown with an annual average of 23%.

However, analysts and companies in the sector say that the volume of trade is still at an early stage, if compared to the numbers in Japan.  According to forecasts, this year the HMRs market in South Korea will increase by 25%, reaching 5 thousand billion won (3.75 billion euros).  Last year, the volume of business was 4 thousand billion (3 billion euros).  Research shows that it will reach 10 thousand billion (7.5 billion euros) by 2023.

In Japan, HMRs are now worth 16.3 billion euros, or 10% of the entire processed food market.  In South Korea, in 2017 they represented 4% of the total, or 3 thousand billion won (2.25 billion euros) out of a total of 80 thousand billion (60 billion euros).  But between the markets of two countries there are some substantial differences.  Experts cite the high rate of smartphone penetration in Korea and citizens' preferences for food delivery services.  Japanese people prefer lunchbox-style meals instead.