Mother, I will buy the kimjang ingredients this year...

Making Kimchi Yourself Costs 264,000 Won
Buying Packaged Kimchi Costs 259,000 Won

Cabbage and Radish Prices Dropped 30-40%
But Prices of Garlic, Green Onion, and Other Seasonings and Vegetables Soared
Price for 20 Heads of Kimchi at Record High

Bulk Farm Contracts and Factory Efficiency Improvements
Make Packaged Kimchi Cheaper
Considering Time and Labor, 'Gimpo-jok' Expected to Increase

[Photo by Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] As the kimchi-making season approaches, housewives' concerns are deepening. Since the cost of making kimchi has surpassed the price of domestically packaged kimchi due to the steep rise in ingredient prices since last year, the price advantage of packaged kimchi becomes greater when considering the time and labor involved in making kimchi. As a result, the number of people giving up on making kimchi this year, called the ‘Gimpo-jok,’ is expected to increase.

Kimchi-making cost this year: 264,000 KRW

According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) on the 25th, the total cost for a four-person household to make kimchi with 20 heads of napa cabbage this year is estimated to reach 264,000 KRW. This marks the highest level ever for two consecutive years in the 260,000 KRW range following last year.

This year, the prices of napa cabbage and radish are 30-40% cheaper compared to last year. Nevertheless, the overall kimchi-making cost increased due to significant price hikes in seasoning vegetables such as garlic, green onions, and salt. Garlic is about 20% more expensive than last year, and water parsley is 45% higher. The price of salt also rose about 35% compared to last year due to a decrease in salt farms and frequent rain reducing the production of sun-dried salt. The prices of fish sauces like anchovy sauce and shrimp sauce are also 5-10% higher than last year.

Last year, the so-called ‘Patech (Pa + Finance Tech)’ trend caused green onion prices to soar, and this year, the price of green onions has risen 55% compared to the previous year, showing signs of another Patech trend. The price of green onions used for kimchi-making by a four-person family was only 13,000 KRW last year, but this year it easily exceeds 20,000 KRW.

Kimchi-making costs are expected to rise further as the season approaches. Recently, with temperatures dropping sharply, the supply of napa cabbage and radish from production areas has started to decrease. If demand concentrates during the kimchi-making season, the prices of napa cabbage and radish could rise back to last year’s levels.

An industry insider said, "Although the prices of napa cabbage and radish are currently stable, considering the growing conditions of other vegetables, it is highly likely that prices will rise back to last year’s levels," adding, "It would be economical to finish making kimchi quickly."

Packaged kimchi prices cheaper than kimchi-making costs

With the sharp increase in kimchi-making costs, the saying ‘packaged kimchi is expensive’ is now a thing of the past. While kimchi-making costs rise every year, packaged kimchi prices have become cheaper due to large-scale contracts with production areas and factory efficiency improvements, making it now cheaper than making kimchi at home.

According to online market prices, ‘Daesang Jongga House Whole Napa Cabbage Kimchi 4kg’ costs 25,900 KRW. Considering that one head of kimchi weighs about 2kg, the price for 20 heads is only 259,000 KRW. This is 5,000 KRW cheaper than this year’s kimchi-making cost of 264,000 KRW. The price of Peacock Chosun Hotel Whole Napa Cabbage Kimchi 4kg is also 27,000 KRW, not much different from the kimchi-making cost. When factoring in the time and labor required to make kimchi, the price gap between packaged kimchi and homemade kimchi widens further.

Consumers struggling between making kimchi and buying packaged kimchi are increasing. Housewife An Miju (43) said, "I have tried packaged kimchi several times, and the taste was not bad," adding, "Although I am concerned about hygiene issues, considering the price and convenience, it is much more advantageous than making kimchi, so I will not make kimchi this year."

Kwon Mijin (34), married for four years, said, "I have helped with kimchi-making at my in-laws every year, but my mother-in-law said she would skip making kimchi this year," explaining, "With COVID-19, gathering in groups is burdensome, and above all, making kimchi is too exhausting."

As demand for packaged kimchi increases, kimchi companies have introduced consumer-customized strategies. Daesang launched the customized kimchi order online platform ‘Jongga House Kimchi Workshop.’ Jongga House Kimchi Workshop is a new type of online kimchi order platform that manufactures and ships kimchi on the same day based on the consumer’s desired taste and quantity. Especially, it allows small orders ranging from 300g, suitable for one meal, up to 1kg.

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