10 Bunches for 60,000 Won Surprise... "Mom, This Time I'll Give You Cash"

Carnation Cultivation Area Significantly Reduced
Fuel, Packaging, and Labor Costs Soar

Kim, a worker in his 30s, decided to skip carnations this Parents' Day. Flower shops charge well over 60,000 won for a basket containing about 10 stems, and an additional 7,000 won for delivery to his parents' home. Considering the hassle of traveling to the flower market and the effort required to wrap the flowers himself, the price is not cheap.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The popularity of carnations has waned. This is due to a significant reduction in the cultivation area of flower farms following the implementation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act in 2016, as well as a sharp decline in the special demand for Teachers' Day. Production costs such as labor and fuel have also risen, and the cost of materials like baskets has surged.

According to the flower distribution statistics from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, the number of carnations sold at the representative domestic flower wholesale market, aT Flower Market (Yangjae), over the past month was 104,794 bunches, a 28.1% decrease compared to the same period last year (145,752 bunches). The average price per bunch of carnations was 6,769 won, down 23% from last year (8,906 won). The total transaction amount was only 348.91 million won, about 70% of last year's 520.63 million won.

Given this situation, both flower farmers and flower shop owners are deeply concerned. After production costs surged, a large volume of cheap Chinese carnations, which had been difficult to import for a while, flooded the market. With the normalization of COVID-19, the wholesale price of Chinese carnations, which came in like a tidal wave, is about half that of domestic products. Large flower delivery franchises distribute Chinese carnations in bulk, leaving domestic farmers struggling.

The sharp rise in dining-out prices has also led people to avoid carnations. According to Statistics Korea on the 7th, the consumer price index rose 0.2% from the previous month and 3.7% compared to the same month last year. In particular, the price of dining out is rising steeply. Last month, dining-out prices increased by 7.6%, following the previous month's (7.7%) 30-year high, and the upward trend continues.

The custom of giving carnations on Parents' Day originated from Mother's Day in the United States. In 1908, a woman named Anna living in Philadelphia distributed white carnations to churchgoers on the anniversary of her mother's death, and later, as Mother's Day was established in the U.S., carnations became the customary gift. The culture was introduced to Korea through missionaries. The meaning varies by flower color. Red signifies 'love wishing for health.'

Cash Instead of Carnations and Gifts

On the 13th, two days before Teachers' Day, a citizen visiting Namdaemun Flower Market in Jung-gu, Seoul, is purchasing a flower basket. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Meanwhile, a survey found that 6 out of 10 people prepare cash gifts for Parents' Day. The average budget was about 336,000 won.

Lotte Members announced on the 2nd that, according to a survey conducted from the 12th to the 16th of last month via the Lotte Members research platform Lime, targeting 1,000 adults aged 20 to 60, 62.2% of respondents said they were preparing cash gifts for Parents' Day.

Health supplements (10.2%) and clothing/fashion accessories (6.5%) accounted for smaller shares compared to cash gifts. The average budget for Parents' Day gifts was 336,000 won, about 2.7 times the budget for Children's Day (124,800 won).

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