For Kim So-hyun, a 31-year-old office worker living in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, milk has long since disappeared from her grocery list. Once a daily staple poured over cereal during her university years, she now considers it unnecessary. "It goes bad too quickly since I live alone," she said. "I usually buy Greek yogurt or soy milk for a quick breakfast, but I can't even remember the last time I bought dairy milk." Kim is not alone. Korean consumers are steadily turning away from fresh milk, driven by shifting dietary habits, rising prices and a growing array of alternatives, industry data showed Monday. According to the Korea Dairy Committee, per capita consumption of fresh milk fell to 22.9 kilograms in 2025, down 9.5 percent from a year earlier. This marks the lowest level since milk consumption began expanding widely in the late 1980s. Milk consumption peaked at around 31 kilograms in the early 2000s, but has been on a steady decline since the 2010s. In contrast, demand for processed dairy products is rising. Yogurt consumption increased from 2.1 kilograms in 2024 to 2.6 kilograms in 2