Expiry Date Reader › Korean labels
How to read Korean expiration dates
Korean dates go year, month, day, and 까지 on the end means "until". Type what the pack says and check the word next to it.
The words next to the date
| Word | Means |
|---|---|
| 소비기한 sobi gihan | Use by: the last day to eat it, stored as the label says. On food since 2023. |
| 유통기한 yutong gihan | Sell by: the last day a shop could sell it. Older packs and refrigerated milk. |
| 품질유지기한 pumjil yuji gihan | Best before, on long-keeping foods like soy sauce, vinegar and beer. |
| 제조일자 jejo ilja | Made on. Not an end date. |
| 사용기한 sayong gihan | Use by, on cosmetics. |
| 개봉 후 gaebong hu | After opening, as in 개봉 후 12개월: 12 months from the day you open it. |
| 제조번호 | Batch number, not a date. |
Ways the date is written
| On the pack | Means |
|---|---|
2027.03.15까지, 2027. 03. 15, 2027년 3월 15일 | Until March 15, 2027 |
27.03.15 or 20270315 | March 15, 2027 |
제조일로부터 24개월 | 24 months from the 제조일자 printed nearby |
For a period from the production date, type the 제조일자 and the months together, like 제조일자 2025.03.15 제조일로부터 24개월. The reader counts the production day as day one, so that example expires by March 14, 2027.
The 2023 switch from 유통기한 to 소비기한
Until 2022, Korean food showed 유통기한, the last day shops could sell it. Since January 1, 2023 labels show 소비기한, the last day to eat it if stored as directed, which is usually later than the old date for the same product. Old packaging was allowed through 2023. Refrigerated milk can keep showing 유통기한 until 2031.
Questions
Is 소비기한 later than 유통기한?
Usually, yes. 유통기한 was a deadline for shops to sell the food. 소비기한 is the last day it is safe to eat if stored as directed, so the same product often carries a later date than before.
What does 까지 mean after a date?
까지 means "until". 2027.03.15까지 means the product is good until March 15, 2027, including that day.
Why does my milk still say 유통기한?
Refrigerated milk was given until 2031 to switch to 소비기한, so cartons can still show the older sell-by date. Treat it as a cautious limit.
How do I read 제조일로부터 24개월?
It means 24 months from the production date (제조일자), common on cosmetics. Find the 제조일자 on the pack and type both. Counting the production day as day one, made March 15, 2025 lasts until March 14, 2027.
What is 품질유지기한?
A best-before date on foods that keep a long time, such as soy sauce, vinegar and beer. It marks how long the food keeps its full quality when stored as directed. Past it, check the food before using it.
Do Korean cosmetics have an expiration date?
Yes. Korean cosmetics show the production date with either 사용기한 (use by) or 개봉 후 사용기간, the months it keeps once opened. Pick the matching word under the result and type what is printed.
Sources: Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, 소비기한 표시제 실시 안내, and its Q&A on milk switching in 2031; Korea's Cosmetics Act, article 10 (label contents).
Other labels: Japanese labels · Chinese labels · all three on one page