The tradition of home-cooked meals is decreasing in Korea, with only 60.4% of households preparing most of their meals at home last year, a significant drop from 93.0% in 2015. This trend is attributed to changing household structures like the rise of single-person households, along with a preference for convenient meals and foods like meat and salads over rice. Korea's per capita rice consumption has now fallen to a historic low at 55.8kg annually. As home cooking declines, instant meals and dining out are becoming more common, while domestic kimchi consumption is shifting toward smaller packaging, even as its export is increasing. The increasing popularity of Korean food globally contributes to rising exports.
