South Korea is facing a kimchi crisis: the production cost of Chinese cabbage has been severely reduced, and the production cost has increased significantly

　　Reference News Network

According to a report on the website of Russia Today TV on the 25th, due to the extreme high temperature and heavy rain, the production of Chinese cabbage in South Korea has been severely reduced, resulting in a soaring price of kimchi, an indispensable kimchi on the Korean table, which has greatly increased the cost of making kimchi. And the raw materials are getting more and more difficult to buy.

　　The price of Chinese cabbage, which is used to make the most common kimchi, has more than doubled in the past year, rising 41 percent in the past month alone, according to the Korea Agriculture and Fisheries Food Distribution Corporation, according to the report. It rose to about 3,300 won per kilogram (1 yuan is about 199.7 won - note on this website).

The price of daikon, another common type of kimchi, has risen 146 percent in the past year to more than 2,800 won.

　　The price hikes come at a particularly bad time, as South Korea is already squeezed by historically high inflation and is heading into November's kimchi-making season, when households typically make large quantities of kimchi.

"Every time I go to buy vegetables, I find that the prices of vegetables are going up," said Hong Sung-jin, a resident of Seoul.

　　As the cost of South Korean households making the iconic food soars, consumers are increasingly looking to buy factory-grown kimchi.

However, according to previous reports by Korean media, the number of kimchi sold to supermarkets has been reduced by about half from the normal level, while the supply of online stores has "completely disappeared".

　　The report also noted that major kimchi makers, including Elephant and CheilJedang, have raised prices by 10% to 11% and are expected to continue increasing.

Many consumers jokingly refer to pickled radishes as "golden vegetables," implying that it is as valuable as gold.

　　The restaurant's response, according to reports, is to serve less kimchi, which has historically been a free side dish.

For example, the owner of a chicken restaurant in Seoul said he would charge 3,000 won if a customer wanted a small portion of kimchi.

He explained that a head of Chinese cabbage costs three times as much as raw chicken.

　　The report noted that South Korea's consumer price index rose 5.7% year-on-year in August and 6.3% in July, hitting a 24-year high.

Food prices rose even more, 8% higher than a year earlier for the second month in a row.

　　Prices of some popular foods are rising much faster, the report said.

For example, fried chicken prices rose 11.4% year-on-year in July.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency, the average price of gimbap has risen by 11.5%, exceeding 3,000 won for the first time.

Just a few years ago, some small restaurants in Seoul were selling gimbap for as little as 1,000 won.

The average price of a bowl of Jajangmyeon is now 6,300 won, up 15.3 percent year-on-year.

(Compile/Ge Xuelei)