Check the Daily Sodium Intake Guideline

How do you convert between salt and sodium?

The portal's salt intake guide (updated 2026) describes the main component of salt as sodium chloride. The component the body needs for fluid balance is sodium, and 1 g of salt works out to about 400 mg of sodium. The same guide gives 2.54 as the factor the Ministry of Health and Welfare uses to convert to salt intake in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

To estimate salt from the sodium figure on a package, use the ratio of about 400 mg per 1 g in the table above.

How much do Koreans eat?

The portal's salt intake guide (updated 2026) explains that average daily sodium intake in the 2023 survey was 3,136 mg, and that from 2019 to 2023 it stayed around 3,000 mg with no big change. It says men tend to eat more than women.

It also lists the foods where intake concentrates. Kimchi, noodles and dumplings, soups, stews and hot pots, and stir-fried dishes together account for 54% of the total. By where people ate, home-cooked meals were about 47% and eating out and institutional meals about 41%.

What is the problem with eating a lot?

The portal explains that the most typical effect of eating too much sodium is higher blood pressure. It says high blood pressure can lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke and myocardial infarction. A general guideline figure, however, can't set an individual's intake target.

How do you check sodium in packaged food?

On a nutrition label, look at the amount of sodium together with the basis on which that amount is listed. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's 2016 notice on revised labeling standards explains that nutrient labeling for the whole package comes first, and also distinguishes cases where, depending on the product, the amount per 100 g, per 100 mL, or per individual unit is used as the basis.

So don't just line up the sodium numbers on packages side by side. Check the labeled basis first. Once you know whether it's per whole package or another unit, compare it against the amount you actually eat. The source above explains the background of the labeling-unit revision, and for the latest labeling of a particular product, check the actual package.

How can you cut down in daily life?

The portal's diet and nutrition guide (updated 2026) gives the examples below of seasoning amounts equal to 1 g of salt. This is not a table calculated from the actual content of specific products.

The same guide suggests using less of the savory sauces and pastes, eating less kimchi, pickled vegetables, ham, and sausage, and leaving the broth. The Korean Society of Hypertension's recommendation, presented in the section on diet therapy for people with high blood pressure, is 6 g of salt a day or less. It applies to a different group than the WHO's general guideline, so read them separately, and confirm the right standard for you with your doctor.

When should you contact a medical institution?

If you've been told your blood pressure is high, or you're being treated for kidney or heart disease, don't decide how salty to eat on your own. Ask the doctor treating you for your daily intake guideline. Also contact a medical institution if your condition changes after you start adjusting your diet.