"Lowering Kimchi-Making Costs Compared to Last Year"... Maximizing Release of Stockpiles and Providing 24.5 Billion Won Discount Support

Government's Measures to Stabilize Supply of Kimchi-Making Ingredients
Concerns Over Shortages and Price Increases of 'Salt, Red Pepper Powder, and Green Onions'

The government has decided to release the maximum amount of government stockpiles of key kimchi-making ingredients such as napa cabbage, radish, red pepper powder, and green onions, and invest 24.5 billion KRW in discounts on agricultural and marine products to minimize the burden of kimchi-making costs.

On the 2nd, the government held an emergency economic ministers' meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho, where it finalized and announced the "2023 Kimchi Ingredient Supply Stabilization Measures" containing these details.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho is delivering opening remarks at the Emergency Economic Ministers' Meeting and Price-Related Ministers' Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs expects that although the production volume of napa cabbage, a key kimchi ingredient, will decrease compared to the previous and average years, the crop conditions in major shipping areas during the kimchi-making peak season (mid-November to early December) such as Jeonnam and Jeonbuk are favorable, so supply should not be a problem. Production of radish, garlic, and salted shrimp has greatly increased, but there are concerns about shortages in supply and price increases for salt, red pepper powder, and green onions.

This measure focuses on lowering consumers' kimchi ingredient purchase costs compared to last year through stable supply of kimchi ingredients and discounts on agricultural and marine products. First, agricultural products such as napa cabbage and radish, which are key kimchi ingredients, and red pepper powder and green onions, whose supply is expected to decrease, will be released from government stockpiles (about 11,000 tons), including imported products, to the maximum extent. In particular, 10,000 tons of solar salt, the highest ever, will be supplied to traditional markets and supermarkets at about one-third of the market price.

Discount support for agricultural and marine products will also be significantly increased. A total of 24.5 billion KRW will be invested, which is 77.5% (10.7 billion KRW) more than last year (13.8 billion KRW). Separately, for napa cabbage and green onions and ginger, which are key kimchi ingredients and whose supply stability is a concern, cooperation with NongHyup and others will support price reductions at large supermarkets.

Through this, discounts of 20-30% will be provided on kimchi vegetables such as napa cabbage, radish, red pepper powder, and garlic at large supermarkets, and if companies add their own discounts, consumer burden can be reduced by up to 50%. Pork, a popular item during the kimchi-making season, will receive discount support (around 20%) on cuts such as pork belly and front leg using the Korean Pork Fund (about 600 million KRW).

Additionally, the government will expand the purchase limit of Onnuri gift certificates for traditional markets to a maximum of 300,000 KRW per person per month until the end of December and encourage kimchi ingredient retailers to join the gift certificate merchant network.

Kim Jong-gu, Director of Distribution and Consumer Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "We will make every effort to reduce the burden of kimchi-making costs so that cases where people cannot make kimchi due to the burden of purchasing kimchi ingredients do not occur," and added, "Since the supply of autumn napa cabbage, the main ingredient of kimchi, is expected to increase in the southern regions shipping from mid-November, we recommend checking cabbage prices through the Agricultural Product Distribution Information website and deciding the kimchi-making time accordingly."

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