10 best Korean ice cream treats to cool you down this summer

A person reaches into an ice cream freezer at a convenience store in Seoul. [NEWS1] 

A woman and a man stood in quiet debate in front of an ice cream freezer at a convenience store in central Seoul’s Jongno District. They were torn between buying a milk-flavored bar and a strawberry-flavored bar. Finally, they reached a consensus: Strawberry.

“Korean ice cream is creamier,” said Antie, who had traveled from Hong Kong, after taking a bite. “It was better than the one from Hong Kong.”

Korean desserts, including ice cream and Popsicles, are emerging as the next wave of K-food, expanding rapidly in global markets.

The nation's ice cream exports in the first half of the year were valued at $38.5 million in 2021, $44.7 million in 2022 and $55.3 million in 2023. While 2024 saw a slight dip to $53.2 million, exports bounced back stronger this year. In the first half, Korea exported $89.3 million of ice cream, a 23 percent jump from the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Experts believe the total will surpass the all-time high of $100 million by the end of the year.

Leading the trend is Binggrae, one of Korea’s top food manufacturers. Known for its signature chewy melon-flavored ice cream bar called Melona, Binggrae’s annual ice cream export revenue more than doubled from 71.1 billion won ($53.5 million) in 2020 to 154 billion won in 2024. It exports to more than 30 countries and has overseas subsidiaries in the United States, China and Vietnam. It's now entering parts of Europe including the Netherlands and Germany via the plant-based line.

Ice creams in an ice cream freezer at a convenience store in Jongno District, central Seoul. [WOO JI-WON] 

Lotte Wellfood, another key player, may not yet rival Binggrae in total export volume, but it is still growing steadily. The company's ice cream exports rose from 20.3 billion won in 2022 to 24.8 billion won in 2023 and 26.4 billion won in 2024. It exported 19.4 billion won of the frozen treat in the first half of this year. Revenue at its Indian plant, which began producing the Korean World Cone in 2021, increased 12 percent to172.9 billion won between 2022 and 2024. Lotte recently opened second plant in Pune, India, which began producing its signature crunchy ice cream bar dwejibar, and plans to expand the produced line to include popular Popsicles like Jaws Bar and the watermelon-flavored Subak Bar.

What's making the world crave Korean ice cream? Industry insiders say the creative formats, innovation and unique flavors. Jaws Bar, inspired by the 1975 film Jaws, is shaped like a shark. Dwejibar is a four-layered treat that’s delicious both inside and out. And chewy, creamy melon-flavored classics like Melona keep fans coming back for more.

Not sure which Korean ice cream to try? The Korea JoongAng Daily breaks them down by flavor and form.

1. Chewy fruit-flavored cream bars

Melona — Binggrae’s chewy, fruit-flavored ice cream bar — is likely the most recognizable and familiar Korean treat that you can find overseas. First launched in 1992, the melon-flavored pastel green dessert saw 20 billion won in sales in its first year alone. Its rectangular shape and creamy texture became instant icons.

Melona [BINGGRAE] 

Since beginning its overseas journey in 1995, when a Korean American entrepreneur began selling it to Korean expats in Hawaii, it has now become Binggrae’s No.1 exported Korean ice cream to North America.

Abroad, it also comes in mango, strawberry, banana, coconut, taro and pistachio.

The strawberry-flavored Malang Cow ice cream bar is a chewy alternative to Melona. It’s the frozen version of the original Malangcow candy, known for its soft, milky texture and signature chewiness.

2. Multilayered ice cream bars

Korea doesn’t just focus on making ice cream look tempting on the outside — the inside has to be exciting too. And that’s exactly what dwejibar offers.

Dwejibar, also known as Krunch [LOTTE WELLFOOD] 

The ice cream bar features four layers of indulgence. Crispy cookie crumbles on top, a chocolate shell, soft ice cream underneath and strawberry syrup at the core.

The name dwejibar — dweji means pig in Korean — was inspired by 1983, the Year of the Pig, when it launched. But in India, where religious and cultural sensitivities around pigs exist, the treat was rebranded as “Krunch,” a name that blends “K” for Korea with “crunch” to highlight its texture. Krunch has been receiving massive love in India, selling over 1 million bars in just three months following its launch.

Encho [BINGGRAE] 

Encho, launched in 2000, is another longtime favorite among chocolate lovers, boasting peanut toppings, a chocolate shell, vanilla ice cream and a rich chocolate at the center.

3. Squeezable ice cream tubes

Many Koreans grew up eating jjoo-jjioo bars — ice cream in squeezable plastic tubes. It’s fun to squeeze out a bit of ice cream at a time, and, most importantly, there’s no dripping mess, making it an ideal treat for kids. Korean squeeze bars are larger, thicker and creamier than the freezer pops common in the United States and Europe, and they often feature milk-based treats rather than fruity flavors.

Pongtta, or Power cap [BINGGRAE] 

Among the most popular jjoo-jjoo-bar-style treats is pongtta, also known as Power cap, a refreshing soda-flavored ice cream. It comes with a pull-tab that you have to pop open — which is how it got the name. Pong is an onomatopoeia for the popping sound, and pongtta roughly means “pop it open.”

Other similar kinds include Papico, the chocolate classic that’s been around since 1988 and Tank Boy, another old-school favorite known for its pear flavor. 

4. Winter-favorite Ice cream

Even in cold weather, Koreans don’t ditch ice cream — they just find suitable formats. In winter, ice cream sandwiches take over.

Bungeo samanco, also known simply as Samanco, is shaped like a fish and is a winter staple. Wrapped in a soft waffle shell, the red bean and vanilla ice cream combo feels less cold on the tongue, making it ideal for when the weather gets colder.

Bungeo Samanco [BINGGRAE] 

First launched in 1991, it mimics Korea’s warm street snack bungeoppang, red-bean paste bread, but in a frozen form. The latter part of the name “Samanco” comes from the Korean words ssa, meaning cheap, and man, meaning many, implying the ice cream is “affordable and plenty.”

It's popular in East Asia, particularly Vietnam and the Philippines, for its “quirky shape and nostalgic appeal,” according to a Binggrae spokesperson. 

Pangtoa [BINGGRAE] 

Similarly, ice cream sandwiches made with soft bread are also popular during colder months. Pangtoa with its thick, pillowy soft breads paired with the creamy ice cream inside offers extra softness and satisfaction.

In Korea, rice cake ice creams are also a go-to winter treat. The most popular, chaltteok ice, has strawberry ice cream wrapped in a chewy green rice cake with bits of red beans inside for added texture. With two rice cakes in each package, they offer a comforting treat.

5. Cleverly designed bars

Summer Crush, launched in 1989, is designed to snap in two. This coffee-flavored ice cream comes wrapped in paper and shaped like two long, twisted triangles joined at the base. You tear the wrapper in the middle and break it in half and just like that, it becomes two treats. Just push up from the bottom and enjoy it like a Popsicle.

Summer Crush [BINGGRAE] 

6. Healthier options

Korean ice cream isn’t just about creativity and fun — it’s also keeping up with health trends. As health-conscious trends grow, low-sugar ice cream has been becoming increasingly popular in recent years.

Leading the healthier choice is Lalasweet, which sold more than 80 million units within just two years of its launch at CU convenience stores. It remains one of the top sellers today.

One of the most popular varieties, Lalasweet’s low-sugar chocolate bar, contains just 3 grams (0.1 ounces) of sugar — a huge contrast to a typical chocolate bar, which has around 25 grams. Even its monaka-style ice cream sandwiches contain only 3 grams of sugar.

Lalasweet's low sugar chocolate bar [LALASWEET] 

Lalasweet began its first exports last year to Vietnam, offering its low-sugar chocolate bars alongside monaka-style and pint ice creams.

Low-sugar versions of classic favorites like World Cone and miniature chocolate ice cream Tico are also rolling out. Lotte Wellfood even has a dedicated zero-sugar line, Zero, which includes ice cream monakas, bars, miniature bites and spoonable pints. 

Zero-calorie editions for Screw Bar and Jaws Bar [LOTTE WELLFOOD] 

For those counting calories, traditional favorites like Jaws Bar, strawberry-and-apple-flavored Screw Bar, watermelon-inspired Subak Bar and pear-flavored Tank Boy are all available in zero-calorie versions.

Reference
Written by WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]
Provided by Korea JoongAng Daily

※ Picks respects the rights of all copyright holders. If you do wish to make material edits, you will need to run them by the copyright holder for approval.