The statistical gap between these two categories has narrowed to a near-parity point that was unthinkable just a few years ago. In 2022, milk commanded a 55.7% share of the combined milk-and-yogurt market, but that lead has evaporated to just 50.9% this year, with yogurt surging to 49.1%. Remarkably, the industry recorded several months in 2025—specifically March, April, and June—where yogurt sales successfully overtook milk for the first time in the retailer’s history.

This market disruption is primarily fueled by a severe demographic contraction among South Korea’s core dairy consumers. Government figures reveal that the teenage population, traditionally the bedrock of fluid milk demand, has plummeted from 5.7 million (11.2% of the population) in 2015 to approximately 4.5 million (8.8%) today. As the youth base shrinks due to a prolonged low birth rate, the structural demand for standard milk is losing its primary engine of growth.

While milk faces a declining user base, yogurt is capitalizing on a sophisticated shift in perception among consumers in their 20s and 30s. No longer viewed as a simple children’s snack, fermented dairy products are being repositioned as functional meal replacements, high-protein supplements, and essential gut-health solutions. This trend toward “functional wellness” allows yogurt to capture a broader lifestyle segment that values targeted health benefits over traditional dietary staples.