Cost of Making Kimchi Rises Due to Poor Cabbage Harvest

Around this time of the year, Koreans gather to make kimchi in large quantities ahead of the winter months. But people have to reach deeper into their pockets this year, as the cost of making the spicy fermented cabbage has risen.

The Korea Price Research Center said Wednesday the average cost for a family of four of making kimchi from ingredients bought at open-air markets is around W355,500, up 8.2 percent compared to last year (US$1=W1,182).

When ingredients are bought at superstores, the cost is about W419,620, up roughly 6 percent on-year. The increase is due to rising prices of ingredients including cabbage, garlic and green onion after a poor harvest.