"Can't You Just Buy Some Kimchi for Kimjang?" Conflict Between 20s-30s Daughters-in-Law and Mothers-in-Law

November Kimjang Season... Popularity of 'Packaged Kimchi' Bought Instead of Homemade
'This Year's Kimjang Plan' Survey: 56.2% of Housewives Say 'Won't Do Kimjang'
Generational Conflicts Over Store-Bought Kimchi in Some Areas

The scene of making kimchi for kimjang. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] # A newlywed couple who had to make kimchi for the first time this year received a grumble from the mother-in-law when they tried to buy kimchi at a large supermarket. Kim, a woman in her early 30s, said, "These days, store-bought kimchi is so good that there's no need to make kimchi at home, but it's a bit disappointing." On the other hand, Lee, a mother-in-law in her 60s, said, "Buying kimchi at the supermarket is convenient in many ways," but emphasized, "Kimjang is a family event and a time to open up your heart." She added, "Young people these days only look for convenience, which is a big problem."

As the kimjang season arrives in November, more people are buying packaged kimchi at nearby supermarkets instead of making kimchi themselves. However, some view this trend unfavorably, pointing out that kimjang has a deeper meaning, such as having heartfelt conversations with family while making kimchi.

Kimchi brand JonggaJip announced on the 2nd that a survey on 'this year's kimjang plans' was conducted on the JonggaJip blog from the 19th to the 23rd of last month, targeting a total of 2,845 housewives, and 56.2% of respondents said they would not make kimchi this year.

This figure is 1.3 percentage points (p) higher than last year's 54.9%. Among housewives who gave up kimjang this year, 62.6% answered that they would replace kimjang by purchasing packaged kimchi, up 4.6%p from last year's 58%, and it has been steadily increasing compared to 54% in 2018.

The most common reason for giving up kimjang every year was "concerned about the hard labor and stress (31.2%)." Other reasons included "high vegetable prices due to a long rainy season (28.1%)" and "unnecessary due to a small number of family members (16.4%)."

An official is organizing packaged kimchi at a large supermarket in downtown Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim, a female office worker in her 30s living in Seoul, complained about the so-called 'kimjang labor.' She said, "Making kimchi requires a lot of labor," adding, "Spending the whole day trimming cabbage hurts my back and makes my body ache." She also added, "Also, men hardly make kimchi, which is a bit of a problem."

The problem arises from conflicts during the process of replacing homemade kimchi with packaged kimchi. For example, a mother-in-law prefers homemade kimchi, but a daughter-in-law wants simple and convenient packaged kimchi, leading to conflicts.

Lee, a woman in her 40s, said, "In the past, the idea of buying kimchi did not exist at all," emphasizing, "These days, kimchi bought at supermarkets tastes better and is more convenient. I like not having to do the hard labor of kimjang the most." However, she added, "But if there are elders in the family, you should ask for their understanding in advance when buying kimchi instead of making it."

As more people seek packaged kimchi, the domestic packaged kimchi market is growing day by day. According to Nielsen Korea, the domestic packaged kimchi market size nearly doubled from 148.2 billion won in 2015 to 283.2 billion won in 2019 over four years. The cumulative market size as of September was 248.9 billion won, an increase of about 18% compared to the same period last year.

On the other hand, as Lee expressed concerns, some criticize replacing kimjang with packaged kimchi. Kim, a woman in her 60s living in Gangbuk, Seoul, emphasized a kind of family love during the kimjang process.

Kim said, "I think making kimchi is a time to have deep conversations and communicate." Regarding kimjang labor, she said bluntly, "In the past, daughters-in-law did everything alone, but nowadays, there are almost no mothers-in-law who make them do that."

Meanwhile, the burden of kimjang this year appears to be greater than last year. When asked if they felt more burdened about kimjang this year compared to last year, 35.6% answered "a lot," and 31.4% answered "a little," meaning 67% of respondents felt more burdened this year than last year.

The most common reason was "the high cost of purchasing kimjang ingredients," accounting for 44.4%, followed by "physical burden" at 29.2%, "lack of confidence in kimjang" at 18%, and "lack of time" at 4.6%. The reason "face-to-face contact is burdensome due to the COVID-19 pandemic" was also 3.8%.

Especially, among those who planned to reduce kimjang compared to last year, 40.5% said they would replace the reduced kimjang with "store-bought packaged kimchi." The reason "can conveniently purchase only the needed amount" accounted for 45.7%, showing that convenience is the most important factor. The next reason was "kimjang is hard and troublesome," at 29.6%.

Packaged kimchi displayed at a supermarket. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The number of respondents who said they would "replace kimjang with packaged kimchi" also increased compared to last year. This year, 62.6% answered that they would purchase packaged kimchi instead of making kimjang, up 4.6%p from last year's 58%, followed by "getting from family or acquaintances (25.4%)" and "no plan yet (11.7%)." Especially, among the 30s and 40s 'Gimpo-jok (kimjang giving-up group)' this year, 63% showed willingness to purchase packaged kimchi, up 5.2%p from last year's 57.8%.

Relatedly, Park, a single female office worker in her 30s, said, "There is a lot of talk about whether to make kimchi yourself or buy packaged kimchi, but these days, the concept of 'eating kimchi because it's winter' is gradually disappearing," adding, "I think it's best to just eat what you want."

Meanwhile, demand for specialty kimchi such as mustard leaf kimchi and green onion kimchi, in addition to regular cabbage (poggi) kimchi, is noticeably increasing. According to JonggaJip, sales of 'green onion kimchi' in the first half of this year (January to June) increased by 103% compared to the previous year. Sales of 'mustard leaf kimchi' and 'water kimchi' increased by 80% and 82%, respectively. Total sales of specialty kimchi, including water kimchi (dongchimi, nabak kimchi), green onion kimchi, and mustard leaf kimchi, grew about 51% in the second quarter (April to June) compared to the same period last year.

As packaged kimchi gains popularity, this trend is expected to continue for the time being. Lee, a company employee in her 20s, said, "My parents sometimes make kimchi for me, but I also increasingly order conveniently from supermarkets," adding, "I order kimchi not only during the kimjang season but also regularly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.