As Korea's elderly population reaches 10 million, the market for "Neulpyeon Food" — a co-brand designation for senior-friendly premium foods meaning "food you can always eat comfortably" — is growing rapidly. Analysts attribute the expansion to rising institutional supply sales and an increasing number of designated products.
According to the Korea Food Industry Cluster Foundation, Neulpyeon Food sales reached 12.78 billion won ($9.4 million) last year, up 34% from the previous year. The survey covered 194 products that maintained their designation as of December last year.
The Neulpyeon Food market has sustained growth over the past five years. Sales rose from 230 million won in 2021 to 12.78 billion won in 2025, while the cumulative number of designated products expanded from 27 to 268 over the same period. The foundation said the growth since 2022 has been driven by the increase in the elderly population and the expansion of the designation system.
By distribution channel, institutional supply sales showed the most notable increase. Driven by expanding B2B demand, institutional supply sales grew 39% year-on-year, outpacing consumer retail sales.
Neulpyeon Food products are classified into three tiers based on ease of consumption: Level 1 (chewable with teeth), Level 2 (chewable with gums), and Level 3 (consumable with tongue). Level 1 accounted for the largest share of sales at 60.7%, followed by Level 3 at 37.8% and Level 2 at 1.5%.
By food type, side dishes made up the largest share at 59%, followed by porridge at 31%, others at 8.6%, and soups and stews at 1.7%.
By company size, small and medium-sized enterprises accounted for 65% of total production. Revenue was relatively evenly distributed, with large corporations at 37.1%, SMEs at 35.0%, and mid-sized firms at 27.9%.
In a survey, more than 70% of responding companies said they were satisfied with the designation system. Key requests included expanded promotion at 41%, continued government support at 21%, and sales channel assistance at 14%.
"The importance of the food industry is growing as we enter a super-aged society," Kim Deok-ho, chairman of the Korea Food Industry Cluster Foundation, said. "We will work to improve food accessibility for the elderly through Neulpyeon Food and strengthen the designation system's operations, distribution, and marketing."
The growth of such senior-friendly products is expected to continue as Korean society ages rapidly. According to the "2025 Social Indicators of Korea" released by the National Data Center, Korea's total population stood at 51.68 million in 2025, with those aged 65 and older accounting for 20.3%. The aging trend is projected to intensify further, with the elderly population reaching 17.27 million — or 47.7% of the total population, nearly half — by 2072.