Tenderloin, coarse breadcrumbs and air-fryer preparation
Both products come in 350g packs priced at 12,980 won, according to S List. Tenderloin Cheese Tonkatsu includes a whole block of mozzarella. The recommended air-fryer preparation for two cutlets is about 14 minutes at 180°C.
Pulmuone's choice of tenderloin is intended to give the cutlets a moist, tender interior. The cut comes from a relatively inactive part of the pig and is prized for its tenderness and distinct grain. For the coating, the company uses fresh, coarse-grain Air Crispy breadcrumbs, whose size leaves air pockets that help prevent sogginess.
A Pulmuone Foods official said the company sought to offer a new eating experience by improving both ingredients and texture. The official added, "We will continue to introduce products with restaurant-quality flavor and texture, opening up the premium segment of the frozen pork cutlet market and strengthening our product competitiveness."
A market with slower growth
Demand during the COVID-19 pandemic helped South Korea's frozen pork cutlet market expand steadily. Growth has since slowed as the category has matured. Consumers have expressed dissatisfaction with how little products differ, especially their reliance on similar cuts of pork.
The category also experienced a period of stagnation before the pandemic. According to Sisa Journal e, it had hovered around 40 billion won for several years as of 2019. CJ CheilJedang's Gome crispy fried tonkatsu reached the top market position within a month of its June 2019 launch, capturing a 31.6% share, according to Nielsen data. That June, the market grew about 20% from a year earlier.
A broader measure of the industry puts Pulmuone behind CJ CheilJedang and Ottogi. In South Korea's 2022 retail market for frozen side dishes, which includes pork cutlets, tteokgalbi and chicken nuggets, their respective shares were 29.4%, 23.7% and 18.6%. Cold Chain Insight reported the figures, citing aT food-industry statistics.
Earlier testing found price and nutrition differences
A Korea Consumer Agency test of 12 frozen pork cutlet products on Sept. 16, 2025, found differences even within the same product type. ChosunBiz reported that fat and protein content varied by as much as 1.5 times, while prices per 100g varied by up to 1.6 times.
Pulmuone's Block Cheese Donkatsu was the costliest cheese cutlet tested, at 2,852 won per 100g. It also earned the highest sensory scores among cheese cutlets for cheese quantity, chewiness and meat texture. Those results apply to Block Cheese Donkatsu, not the newly launched Tenderloin Cheese Tonkatsu.
