"Can't Buy Because There's None"... 'Kimchi Shortage' Phenomenon Due to Cabbage Becoming as Expensive as Gold

Cabbage Price Increase Due to Heatwaves, Heavy Rain, and Typhoons
Some Online Malls Sold Out of Kimchi Products
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs: "Will Use All Available Measures to Stabilize Cabbage Supply"

Photo by Pixabay.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Kang Yebom (57), who lives in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, was shocked when she went to a local mart to buy ingredients for making kimchi. The prices of most agricultural products, including napa cabbage, onions, and chili peppers, had surged. Kang said, "The price of napa cabbage has risen so much that I can't even afford to buy it. Although prices have generally increased, I was really surprised when I saw the price tag on the cabbage," adding, "At this point, it might be better to buy kimchi than to make it myself."

This summer, due to extreme heat, heavy rain, and typhoons, the price of napa cabbage has soared, causing a shortage of kimchi, a staple side dish in Korea. As the prices of kimchi ingredients surged, more consumers sought relatively affordable packaged kimchi, but unpredictable weather made it difficult to secure ingredients, leading some online malls to temporarily suspend kimchi sales.

On the 16th, at Daesang's own mall "Jeongwon e-Shop," the top packaged kimchi company, most products such as whole napa cabbage kimchi, young radish kimchi, green onion kimchi, and mustard leaf kimchi were sold out. The company stated on its website, "Due to a shortage in supply, kimchi products are experiencing long-term stockouts and shipping delays. We ask for your understanding," and added, "Normal sales are expected to resume around the end of September."

The ongoing shortage of packaged kimchi is related to recent adverse weather conditions. This summer, the combination of heatwaves, heavy rains, and Typhoon Hinnamnor led to poor napa cabbage harvests, causing ingredient prices to surge and increasing demand for packaged kimchi.

According to the Agricultural Products Distribution Information from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), the wholesale price of napa cabbage (10 kg) was 34,140 KRW as of the previous day, a 124% increase from 15,224 KRW a year ago. Prices of other kimchi ingredients such as radish (144%) and onions (58%) also rose significantly compared to a year ago.

Some online malls are experiencing a kimchi sold-out situation. Photo by Daesang, screenshot of the company's own mall 'Jeongwon e-Shop' homepage.

As prices continue to soar, imports of Chinese kimchi, which had been overlooked, have recently increased again. According to customs export-import trade statistics, the import value of Chinese kimchi from the beginning of this year to August reached 108.6 million USD (about 259.8 billion KRW), a 27.6% increase from 86.1 million USD (about 120.2 billion KRW) during the same period last year.

Previously, Chinese kimchi became controversial in March last year due to a viral video known as the "naked napa cabbage" video. In the video, a Chinese man was seen undressing and soaking napa cabbage in an unsanitary manner in a tank, which led to a movement in Korea to reject Chinese kimchi. However, due to its low price, imports have recently increased again.

Meanwhile, some people have given up on napa cabbage kimchi and are making kimchi with other vegetables like cabbage, which have not seen significant price increases. A netizen who identified herself as a housewife shared on a mom caf? in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, "The kimchi I ordered from an online mall was suddenly canceled, and since I couldn't afford the price to make kimchi myself, I made cabbage kimchi instead. It's easy to make and tastes good, so I'm satisfied."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs released a statement yesterday saying, "The wholesale price of napa cabbage in early September was 7,009 KRW per head, but the price in mid-September (1st to 15th) rose to 8,748 KRW, indicating an increase after Chuseok," adding, "It appears that supply decreased after Chuseok due to early harvesting to meet increased demand during the Chuseok peak season amid poor harvests caused by adverse weather conditions."

The ministry predicted that supply will increase and prices will gradually fall once harvesting of napa cabbage from semi-highland areas begins at the end of this month. Kim Jong-gu, Director of Distribution and Consumption Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "Prices of agricultural and livestock products generally stabilize after Chuseok, but napa cabbage prices may remain somewhat high in September before semi-highland napa cabbage is supplied," adding, "To resolve the supply instability of napa cabbage, the government will work with the Nonghyup and other organizations to mobilize all available means to expand supply."

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