Cabbage 1 Head 12,000 Won
25% Increase in One Week
"The weather is too hot. The side dishes are in the refrigerator, so please come inside."
On the morning of the 20th, a large sign with this message was posted in front of a side dish store in a traditional market in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Pedestrians passing by under the scorching heat, some using parasols, hurried past the store as if trying to escape the heat quickly. Choi (52), who has been running the side dish store here for 10 years, said, "It's so hot that we can't put the side dishes outside to sell," adding, "We are encouraging customers to come inside, but few actually enter the store."
Traditional market merchants have been hit hard by record-breaking tropical nights and the resulting price increases. Experts say that due to this year's long rainy season and heatwave, agricultural product prices have risen, and the heat has kept customers away, causing significant damage. However, they expect the situation to gradually stabilize as the Chuseok holiday approaches next month.
On this day, when Seoul recorded a maximum temperature of 36 degrees Celsius, the traditional market was exposed to the scorching heat without a single shade. Merchants who had displayed vegetables and fruits on their stalls tried to attract passing pedestrians by saying, "The large and plump fruits taste good," but people holding black plastic bags paused briefly and then passed by the stalls without stopping.
Further inside, only under the roofs installed to block rain and sunlight did customers gather. Choi Gil-rye (82), who runs a vegetable store, said, "When the weather is too hot, customers tend to go to large supermarkets with air conditioning rather than traditional markets," adding, "This year seems much hotter than usual, so although many people pass by, few stop to buy goods."
On the morning of the 20th, a vendor is waiting for customers at a vegetable store in a traditional market in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. [Photo by Seohee Lee]
The traditional market, which has lost customers due to the heat, is facing a 'double hardship' with rising prices. Since the long rainy season began in June and the unprecedented heatwave, prices of major items such as leafy vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, perilla leaves, and open-field vegetables like chives and peppers have risen, causing citizens to tighten their wallets.
According to the Korea Price Information traditional market price data on the 21st, the price of one head of cabbage (4 kg) in the third week of August was 12,000 won, up 25% in a week and 50% compared to last month. Prices of green chili peppers (33%), lettuce (25%), perilla leaves (20%), and spinach (14%) also rose sharply within a week.
Experts say that although agricultural product prices have recently surged due to reduced shipments caused by the heatwave, prices are expected to stabilize next month as reserve supplies are released.
An official from the Korea Rural Economic Institute explained, "In August, the reduction in cultivation area and the impact of the heatwave caused a decrease in shipments, leading to a significant rise in prices of lettuce and cabbage," adding, "While the high-price trend is expected to continue for a while, as Chuseok approaches next month, the market will be supplied with quantities that have not yet been shipped from production areas compared to the peak season, which is expected to bring price stability."
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