[Report] "Nothing to Buy and No Money to Spend"... Stalled Shopping Baskets

On-site at Yangdong Market in Gwangju on the 6th
"Wholesale prices have gone up"... Vendors sigh deeply
Cabbage up 65%, tangerines up 33%... Fresh food index surges
Experts say, "Supply instability is driving up prices... Urgent measures needed"

On the 6th, I visited Yangdong Market in Gwangju. Along the quiet aisles, household goods stores and vegetable shops are lined up. Photo by Song Bohyun

"Even if I want to buy something, I can't. There should be at least one thing that's cheap."

On the morning of the 6th at Yangdong Market in Seo-gu, Gwangju. Opened in 1940, this is the largest traditional market in the Honam region. Normally, this would be a bustling time, but these days, it's quiet. Customers passing by only glance at the price tags, and vendors dust off their stalls as foot traffic dwindles. With no end in sight to rising prices, the faces of both vendors and citizens looked heavy.

At a vegetable shop near the entrance of the market, a housewife, Ms. Park (58), picked up a head of cabbage but hesitated and put it back down. After asking the owner for the price, she shook her head. "Last year, it was around 3,000 won per head, but now it's over 6,000 won."

Right next door at a fruit shop, an elderly man was holding a black plastic bag with a single pineapple inside. He said, "After hearing the price of apples, I picked them up and put them down several times, but I just bought this because it was cheaper," he said with a bitter smile.

Yangdong Market in Gwangju visited on the 6th. Photo by Song Bohyun

The situation is just as difficult for the market vendors. Vendor A (female, in her 70s), who has been running her business for 45 years, said, "Customers just ask about the price and leave. It's not like we want to sell at high prices, but with wholesale prices going up, there's nothing we can do," she lamented.

Another vendor who was listening to the interview nearby said, "These days, there's nothing left over. The cost of goods is rising, but the number of customers is falling. It's tough all around. Honestly, it feels like we might have to close up shop," he sighed.

The complaints of citizens and vendors alike are reflected in the statistics.

According to the consumer price trends for Gwangju and Jeonnam in February 2025, announced this day by the Honam Regional Statistics Office, the consumer price index for Gwangju in February was 116.45 (2020=100), up 2.1% from the same month last year and 0.4% from the previous month. The living price index rose 2.5% year-on-year and 0.7% month-on-month. The living price index is composed of items with high consumption frequency and is closely related to perceived inflation.

February 2025 Gwangju Consumer Price Trends. Provided by Honam Regional Statistics Office

In particular, the fresh food index rose sharply, up 6.5% year-on-year and 6.5% month-on-month. Fresh vegetables increased by 6.0% compared to the same month last year and 5.9% from the previous month, while fresh fruit fell by 0.6% year-on-year but jumped 10.2% month-on-month.

By item, cabbage saw the largest increase, rising 65% compared to the same month last year. Tangerines rose by 33.4%. On the other hand, tomatoes fell by 22.3% and apples by 6.9%. Agricultural, livestock, and fishery products rose by 1.4% year-on-year and 2.9% month-on-month.

By expenditure purpose, food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 1.6% year-on-year, and housing, water, electricity, and fuel by 1.9%. The recreation and culture sector was the only one to fall, down 0.3% year-on-year.

Experts analyzed that the rise in prices was due to a combination of factors such as increases in energy and raw material prices, as well as instability in the supply of agricultural products. There are calls for urgent measures to stabilize prices.