Challenges and Strategies for the Korean Dairy and Dairy Products Sector in the Era of Zero Tariffs in 2026: An Integrated Review of Industry, Policy, and Education

The Korean dairy and dairy products sector is approaching a major structural transition as tariff elimination on key dairy items, mandated under multiple free trade agreements (FTAs), will take full effect by approximately 2026. The industry has already been constrained by stagnant fluid milk consumption, demographic decline, an aging farming population, and steadily rising production costs. The completion of tariff reduction schedules under the Korea–United States (US), Korea–European Union (EU), Korea–Australia, and Korea–New Zealand FTAs is expected to heighten competition from imported ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk and cheese products. This review provides an overview of Korea’s current milk production, consumption, and trade structure, and outlines the tariff-phasing mechanisms for major dairy products, emphasizing the implications of the forthcoming zero-tariff environment. We also analyze how disparities in raw milk production costs between Korea and leading exporting countries, the functioning of tariff-rate quotas, and the rapid growth of imported cheese and UHT milk may affect farm income, raw milk supply and demand, processing-sector dynamics, food industry value chains, and consumer welfare. Drawing on policy and industry experiences from the EU, the US, Oceania, and Japan, we identify potential strategic directions for Korea, including productivity improvements through smart dairy farming, development of high-value-added and premium product lines, policy instruments that facilitate structural adjustment, and portfolio reshaping by dairy processors and food manufacturers. Finally, we highlight the importance of education and human resource development in the zero-tariff era by proposing a multidisciplinary curriculum that integrates FTAs with agricultural trade, dairy economics, global supply chain management, and ESG-driven branding and business strategies, complemented by practice-oriented, project-based learning and stronger industry–academia–policy collaboration. This review aims to provide a conceptual and analytical foundation for designing industry, policy, and educational strategies to enhance the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of Korea’s dairy and dairy products sector beyond 2026.