From fad to lifestyle Slow ageing diet gains momentum among young South Koreans

SEOUL - Ms Ha Sang-hee, a woman in her 30s, regularly shares photos of her home-made meals on social media platform X.

Her dishes consistently exclude white rice, processed foods and strongly flavoured sauces— a choice she refers to as the “slow-ageing diet”.

To fully enjoy meals without these ingredients, she experiments with recipes and shares her successful creations online.

“(After eight months on the diet),I feel my stamina and immunity have improved, and I am taking better care of myself. This has helped to stabilise my mind and shake off negative thoughts,” Ms Ha said.

She is not alone. Many others follow the same diet.

Some 58,000 participants, including Ms Ha, share their slow-ageing diet experiences in a group on X. Like Ms Ha, many members are in their 20s and 30s.

The buzzword “slow ageing” refers to a lifestyle focused on extending lifespans through good habits while minimising physical and mental stress.

As a key part of this concept, the slow-ageing diet emphasises avoiding high-fat and high-glycemic ingredients, which can stress the body.

The term has recently gained widespread popularity in South Korea, evolving from a social media trend among young users into a broader generational movement.

From meme to mainstream

During the early 2020s, many South Korean consumers embraced bold flavours in foods like tteokbokki and malatang, believing these dishes helped relieve stress.

However, a drastic shift occurred after the continued efforts of Dr Jung Hee-won, a geriatric medicine professor at Asan Medical Centre in Seoul and the leader of the slow-ageing group that Ms Ha is part of.

Since 2024, Dr Jung has actively promoted healthy lifestyle choices on social media, particularly on X.

His online influence turned “slow ageing” into a viral meme, earning him the nickname “Professor Slow-Ageing”, which has become more widely