A meal set provided by Samsung Welstory for senior residences (Photo courtesy of Samsung Welstory)
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s aging population is transforming the country’s food service industry, with leading catering companies pivoting toward senior housing and care facilities as a new growth market.
According to industry officials, with the number of people aged 65 and older surpassing 10 million for the first time last year, firms are expanding their operations into “senior residences” — including welfare housing complexes, private assisted-living apartments, and nursing homes.
A Samsung Welstory official said the company is now supplying meals to major luxury senior residences such as Wirye Symphonia Senior in Seoul and Rauer Osiria Senior Town in Busan. Its menus are tailored for older clients, featuring low-sugar, high-protein and low-sodium dishes prepared in individual pots and on-site cooking stations.
Other major players are following suit. Ourhome has made healthcare-based catering one of its core growth engines, with meal services now operating in ten senior facilities nationwide. Sales from its senior meal division jumped 79 percent year-on-year from January to September, driven by protein-rich and easily digestible menu options.
Hyundai Green Food and CJ Freshway are also expanding their senior meal supply chains. Hyundai Green Food now provides catering or ingredients to nearly 900 elderly care centers and senior towns, while CJ Freshway’s senior food business has grown an average of 26 percent annually since 2022.
The companies say the shift marks a broader industry transition from traditional large-scale industrial catering — once reliant on conglomerate clients — toward smaller but steadily growing segments that cater to Korea’s rapidly aging society.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
