Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) under the Trade, Industry, and Energy Ministry held the 8^th Size Korea Conference on March 30 at COEX in Seoul, where research outcomes announced that Korean males and females had grown 6.4cm and 5.3cm, respectively, in average height over the past 40 years since the first survey released in 1979.

According to the research, Korean people’s body shapes increasingly developed an overall “long-legged” physique. For males, average obesity levels continued to climb, whereas females 35 years of age and above saw diminished average levels of obesity.

KATS President Lee Sang-hoon delivered the findings via online and in-person simultaneously. During the conference, KATS also held an MOU signing ceremony for data utilization and cooperation across various sectors including wearables, medical devices, clothing, ergonomics and their relevant institutions.

The Size Korea survey began in 1979 with the purpose of strengthening national competitiveness in areas of clothing, daily necessities, related products, and services. It is a one-of-a-kind state-led body measurements data collection project existing in the world.

The 8^th Size Korea survey was conducted of 6,839 Koreans in the age range of 20-69 over the period of May 2020 to December 2021. The survey consisted of 137 direct measurements, 293 3-dimensional measurements, and altogether 430 criteria measurements. Key results are as follows:

The average height of a Korean male and female recorded 172.5cm and 159.6cm, respectively. Data showed that the average Korean height continued to grow well past the high economic growth years, even after the 21^st century. Back in 1979, the average Korean male height was 166.1cm, and the average female height was 154.3cm.

As for body proportions, the leg portion (from perineum to floor/total height) rose across all age ranges when compared to the 5^th survey done in 2003, meaning that the leg portion has kept lengthening overtime in proportion to entire body length.

For vertical facial height in proportion to height, the figures have remained relatively unchanged since the 1990s (7.2-7.3cm), and Koreans’ average facial width has always remained within the average Asian “short-headed” 0.84-0.89cm range, regardless of age, gender, and time period. A relevant finding was that despite the increase in height and westernization of body shape, some body proportions stayed their unique Korean style.

With regard to obesity, the average male BMI steadily rose over the four decades, with about half (47.0 percent) of males today defined as “obese.” Females, on the other hand, maintained a steady fluctuation pattern within the range of 22.0 and 23.1. Interestingly, females 35 and older saw obesity levels decrease in average in comparison with the 7^th survey conducted five years ago, with those aged 50-60 showing the sharpest drop.

The MOU signing ceremony was held among the Korea’s Army Headquarters, Medical Device Industry Promotion Foundation, Dankook University’s Wearables Manufacturing Data Platform Center, the Ergonomics Society of Korea, and Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles. This MOU aims to promote utilization of body measurements data in various industries, as well as to foster future industries by identifying new sources for data demand.

During the presentation session, participants exchanged ideas for cooperation in future industries like medical devices, wearables, and ergonomics. Noteworthy business model proposals submitted in the contest were also shared.

Trade, Industry, and Energy First Vice Minister Park Jin-kyu noted that “Size Korea data is the accumulation of Koreans’ bodily changes over the last 40 years of a most rapidly changing nation.” He added that “the data has helped gain competitiveness in areas of ergonomic manufacturing and spatial design, and the Ministry will strive to further develop this project in order to propel new forward-looking industries in today’s digital transition period.”