[Yuhan-Kimberly]
[Yuhan-Kimberly]

New male-only sub-brand launched; existing men's underwear line revamped

44% of men aged 40-69 report incontinence in past 3 months

Men's underwear accounts for 28% of sales from January to July this year

Yuhan-Kimberly announced Tuesday the launch of "Depend Man," a male-only sub-brand under its Depend incontinence line. The company also rebranded its existing men's underwear product as "Depend Man Underwear."

The company developed a separate brand name, packaging design and product communications tailored to male consumers to lower the psychological barrier men face when choosing incontinence-specific products.

A 2024 survey by Yuhan-Kimberly found that 44 percent of men aged 40 to 69 in South Korea had experienced incontinence within the previous three months. The same survey found the rate among women aged 30 to 69 was 57 percent.

Despite that prevalence, sales of male incontinence products lag behind those for women. Yuhan-Kimberly's sales data from January through July this year showed men's underwear-style products accounted for 28 percent of total underwear sales, with women's products making up the remaining 72 percent. For liner and pad products used for mild incontinence, the men's share was limited to 6 percent.

The newly launched Depend Man Underwear features an absorbent pad that is 1.5 times more flexible and 20 percent thinner than the previous product. The company said it maintained absorbency while achieving a fivefold improvement in rewet performance and a 99 percent odor-elimination effect.

The product is available through online and offline channels, including Coupang Inc, the Depend Naver brand store and major hypermarkets.

"There are many male consumers who hesitate to use dedicated products due to a lack of information and psychological barriers," a Yuhan-Kimberly Depend Man representative said. "We will continue developing products and working to change perceptions so that male consumers can more easily choose what they need."


hong@heraldcorp.com