This Week's Garak Mall Kimchi-Making Cost: 215,078 Won

Construction Corporation Conducts Weekly Survey on Garak Mall Kimchi Ingredients Costs for Kimjang Season, Announces Results on Garak Market Website
November 20 Garak Mall Kimchi Cost 3rd Survey Shows Estimated Expenses of 215,078 KRW Using Fresh Cabbage and 177,166 KRW Using Salted Cabbage for a Family of Four
Due to Increased Shipment Volume in Peak Kimjang Season, Prices of Cabbage and Radish Decline Compared to Previous Month, While Prices of Bancheonggat and Green Onion Rise Due to Poor Harvest and Supply Shortage

The Seoul Agro-Fisheries & Food Corporation (President Moon Young-pyo) is conducting weekly surveys on the cost of kimchi-making ingredients at Garak Mall to provide helpful information for budget-friendly kimchi ingredient shopping during the peak kimchi-making season, and publishes the results on its website.

On November 20, a survey was conducted on 12 major kimchi-making ingredients at stores within Garak Mall in Garak Market. The results showed that using fresh napa cabbage costs 215,078 KRW, while using salted napa cabbage costs 177,166 KRW.

This is approximately 39% cheaper compared to the 2023 kimchi-making cost of 350,520 KRW surveyed by the Price Association.

The survey found that using salted napa cabbage is more cost-effective than using fresh napa cabbage. According to the 2023 consumer kimchi-making intention survey by the Korea Rural Economic Institute, more than half of consumers purchase salted napa cabbage, and this trend has been steadily increasing since 2020.

Due to the rising consumer preference for salted napa cabbage, supply has competitively increased, leading to a decrease in its price.

Among the main kimchi-making ingredients, the prices of napa cabbage and radish have declined compared to the previous month (October) due to increased shipment volumes. Compared to the same period last year, radish prices dropped by 40%, while napa cabbage prices rose by 19%. On the other hand, prices of ingredients like young mustard greens and green onions have increased due to poor harvests and supply shortages. Consequently, the overall kimchi-making cost slightly increased compared to the previous week.

Supporting ingredients such as red pepper powder, salted shrimp, and anchovy fish sauce have maintained stable prices compared to the previous week. However, due to the issue of radioactive water discharge from the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, the price of solar salt has significantly increased compared to last year. The government is making efforts to stabilize the market by supplying up to 10,000 tons of reserved stock.

Additionally, the corporation surveyed and announced the prices of five popular items essential for kimchi-making, such as fresh shrimp and pork for boiled meat, sold at Garak Mall.

The price of fresh shrimp Dongbaekha (from Sinan) dropped by 25% compared to the previous week to 37,500 KRW per kilogram, coinciding with the peak shipping season. Oysters (natural oysters from Goheung) are available at 73,750 KRW for 2 kilograms, down 31% from the previous week. Due to high summer water temperatures, oyster production has decreased, causing prices to rise slightly compared to last year. Pork for boiled meat remains relatively stable, with pork belly priced at 27,975 KRW per kilogram and front leg meat at 12,975 KRW per kilogram.

The corporation also conducts and publishes weekly surveys on the retail price trends of major livestock and seafood products. Through this, consumers can continuously check the purchase prices of livestock products, fresh fish, shellfish, live fish, salted seafood, and dried seafood at Garak Mall via the website.

In line with the peak kimchi-making season, the corporation provides daily updates on the transaction trends (volume and price) of major kimchi-making ingredients on its website. Furthermore, through the corporation’s YouTube channel, a behind-the-scenes look at the ‘Garak Market Love Kimchi Sharing Festival,’ featuring the corporation’s president, employees, Garak Market distributors, and volunteer groups, will be released.

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