"Not Kimchi but Geum(金)chi!" Kimjang Ingredients Soar... Commoners 'In Tears'

Cabbage and Garlic Prices Rise 49.9% and 20.2% Year-on-Year
Kimjang Costs Increase 8.2% Compared to Last Year
Rising Kimjang Costs Lead to 'Baechu Crisis' or Emergence of 'Gimpo-jok'

Kimchi. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] "The price of kimchi ingredients has really skyrocketed.", "I'm even thinking of just skipping it this year."

As the kimchi-making season approaches, the prices of kimchi-making ingredients are soaring. Due to the surge in napa cabbage prices, a 'napa cabbage crisis' has occurred, and even 'Gimpo-jok' (people who give up making kimchi) have appeared.

With the full-fledged kimchi-making season underway, prices of napa cabbage and other kimchi ingredients have risen one after another, increasing the burden on consumers. According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), as of the 15th, the weekly retail price of napa cabbage (standard product) was 4,697 KRW per head, up 49.9% compared to the previous year. Garlic, another kimchi ingredient, was priced at 11,956 KRW per kilogram, up 20.2% from last year.

The sharp rise in kimchi-making prices this year appears to be due to multiple factors. According to Statistics Korea data, the cultivation area for autumn napa cabbage decreased by 3.7% compared to the previous year, and the outbreak of napa cabbage rot disease caused by autumn monsoon rains affected entire heads, compounded by an autumn cold wave. Additionally, labor cost increases due to COVID-19, rising transportation costs caused by surging oil and urea prices, and reduced imports of green onions and fresh oysters also had an impact.

On the morning of the 21st, citizens are purchasing salted napa cabbages for kimchi at Yangjae Hanaro Mart in Seoul. At this 24-hour operating mart, 1,000 boxes of salted napa cabbages were sold starting from 8 a.m., but due to citizens lining up since 1 a.m., the stock was sold out by 8:50 a.m., just 50 minutes after sales began.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

A survey found that making kimchi at traditional markets this year costs over 350,000 KRW for a family of four. The Korea Price Association estimated that the cost of kimchi ingredients at traditional markets in six cities?Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Incheon, and Daejeon?would be 355,500 KRW for a family of four, which is 8.2% higher than last year. Especially when purchasing kimchi ingredients at supermarkets, the total cost rose about 5.8% to approximately 420,000 KRW compared to last year.

Mr. A, who made kimchi last weekend, sighed at the rising prices. He said, "I had to buy napa cabbage in advance, so I couldn't avoid making kimchi. The garlic price was too expensive and burdensome," adding, "Besides garlic, the prices of salt, green onions, water parsley, fresh shrimp, oysters, and other supplementary ingredients for kimchi have risen so much that the cost of making kimchi was burdensome."

Given this situation, crowds are flocking to supermarkets to buy napa cabbage, and 'Gimpo-jok' (people who give up making kimchi) are emerging. On the morning of the 21st, a remarkable scene unfolded at the Yangjae Hanaro Mart in Seoul, where citizens lined up from 1 a.m. to buy salted napa cabbage for kimchi-making.

Also, according to the '2021 Kimchi-Making Intentions and Kimchi Vegetable Supply and Demand Outlook' report released by the Korea Rural Economic Institute on the 9th, 63.3% of household consumers this year (up from 62.0% last year) said they would make kimchi themselves, while 26.0% (up from 23.9%) said they would purchase commercially available kimchi. The number of households choosing to buy kimchi instead of making it increased slightly.

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Kim Hyun-soo (third from the left) is inspecting the condition of kimchi cabbage crops and shipment conditions in Songak-eup, Dangjin-si, Chungnam on the 18th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The government, concerned that kimchi prices will rise due to agricultural product price increases, decided to release reserved napa cabbage and garlic into the market. It also plans to expand the upper limit of agricultural product consumption coupons to reduce household food purchase burdens.

Kim Hyun-soo, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, visited an autumn napa cabbage harvest site in Dangjin City, Chungnam Province, on the 18th and pledged to do his best to manage napa cabbage supply during the kimchi-making season. Minister Kim said, "We will sufficiently supply government-held reserve quantities and agricultural cooperative contract quantities to the market to manage napa cabbage supply during the kimchi-making season and alleviate consumer burdens through discount events."

The government is also providing agricultural and livestock product discount coupons that can be used to purchase major kimchi vegetables to ease kimchi-making costs. Using the coupons, consumers can receive 20-30% discounts when purchasing kimchi vegetables and pork at traditional and large supermarkets. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs explained that the discount limit has been increased by 10,000 KRW compared to last year, allowing up to 20,000 KRW in discounts.

Experts pointed out government supply management issues related to the rise in napa cabbage and kimchi-making prices. Professor Lee Eun-ha of Inha University's Department of Consumer Studies said, "This year, due to labor and fuel costs, prices have generally risen, making management difficult," but added, "Since kimchi-making is an annual event, the increased demand for napa cabbage and other kimchi ingredients was fully predictable. Nevertheless, the recurring sharp rise in napa cabbage prices during the kimchi-making season indicates that government supply management is not being properly executed."

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