<Anchor> While the



prices of the dining table are generally high, large onions in particular have become so expensive that they are called gold waves.

It's about 9,000 won to buy a bunch of green onions at marts, but as a result, more and more consumers are growing and eating green onions at home.



Reporter Han Ji-yeon.



<Reporter>



A traditional market in Seoul.

A single green onion is sold for 6,000 won.



[Gwiim Kang/Vegetable store merchant: I sold 1,700 won, 2,000 won like this, but it's the first time I've climbed so much.

Even if I've been selling vegetables for 40 years...

.] At



large supermarkets, the cost of a single green onion is close to 7,000 won, but the burden on consumers is increasing as it is a basic ingredient used in both soup, stew, and side dishes.



In some marts, it soared close to 9,000 won.



There are also many consumers who check the price and quietly put it down.



[Consumer: I was surprised.

I was startled.

I bought it for between 3,000 won and 4,000 won a while ago.

(Frozen wave) It will be a little cheaper if you eat the leftovers.]




The free green onion service provided by butchers to meat buyers has disappeared.



[Butcher's merchant: It's too expensive, so now I just distribute it (for free) and sell it for money... (Guests) tell me, of course. Why don't you give it?]



Even at a meat restaurant, the basic side dish, green onion, was replaced with other vegetables.



[The owner of the meat restaurant: Green onions are not being provided anymore. It's a lot (substitute) with things like naengi, bomdong, and seasoned.] The



price of green onions is 7,598 won per 1kg, which is 3.5 times higher than last year.



As the price of green onions plummeted last year, enough to plow the fields, the cultivation area this year was reduced by nearly 10%, and the effects of cold waves and heavy snow were overlapped.



[Kim Hyung-sik/Head of Horticultural Industry Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock: Due to the nature of green onions being vulnerable to cold waves, only about half of the amount brought into the wholesale market (last year) is coming in.]



Planting and eating green onions at home is called'Patech'. 'There are so many videos on social media about growing green onions at home and eating them.



Green onion prices are expected to remain strong until early April, when spring onions are released.



(Video editing: Wonhee Won, VJ: Hyunwoo Park)