"Miss, A Full Bouquet Costs 100,000 Won"...Graduation-Season Flower Prices Jump 13%

Graduation Ceremonies at Major Seoul Universities from 23rd to 25th
Wholesale Rose Prices Up About 19% from a Year Earlier
Smaller Bouquets and Doll Bouquets Emerging as Alternatives

"Have bouquets always been this expensive?"

Lee Minyoung (22), a third-year student at Hongik University who recently attended a club senior's graduation ceremony, kept checking the price tags in front of a flower shop. Picking up three 20,000-won sunflower bouquets, Lee said, "No one is happier for them than I am, but as a student, it is a big burden to buy a full, lavish bouquet," expressing regret. At a street stall in front of Exit 9 of Hongik University Station, people looking for cheaper artificial flowers also kept coming. With graduation season approaching, wholesale flower prices are rising, and retail prices around university districts are climbing in tandem.

On the 20th, graduation bouquets were displayed at a flower shop near Sinchon Station. Teddy bears wearing mortarboards and soap flowers were among the popular items. Reporter Oh Jieun

According to flower distribution data from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) on the 23rd, the average auction price of roses last month was 12,576 won, up 18.8% from 10,587 won in the same period a year earlier. The overall wholesale price of cut flowers (flowers with stems) at the Yangjae Flower Market in Seocho-gu, Seoul, also rose by 12.5%. The upward trend has continued into February. From this day for three days, major universities such as Yonsei University, Hanyang University, Seoul National University, and Kyung Hee University are scheduled to hold commencement ceremonies one after another.

The rise in wholesale prices is directly reflected in retail prices. A check of about 10 flower shops near major university districts in Seoul showed that the price range for the most commonly sold bouquets this graduation season is around 50,000 won. However, shop owners all said that "if you want a full, abundant bouquet, you should expect to pay at least 70,000 won." Many products easily exceeded 100,000 to 150,000 won when seasonal materials were added to increase the size. In the introduction sections of some flower shops near Garak Market in Songpa-gu, there were even notices stating that "during graduation season, at least an additional 20,000 won is added compared to usual."

Flowers are displayed near the main gate of Sogang University, where a commencement ceremony was held on the 20th. Non-wilting soap-flower bouquets and "mini" bouquets packaged with a single bloom each occupied most of the display. Oh Jieun, Reporter.

As the burden grows, people are turning their eyes to smaller bouquets priced in the 10,000- to 20,000-won range or to single-flower items. "Doll bouquets" that incorporate school symbols are also gaining popularity. On a stand set up in front of the main gate of Sogang University, more than 10 teddy bears dressed in academic gowns were on display. They were bundled together with preserved flowers (treated for long-lasting preservation) in bouquet form. Lee, who has run a flower shop near Dongguk University for more than 30 years, said, "The most popular design was a 20,000-won item that put a mini mortarboard on a single flower."

The recent rise in flower prices is not limited to graduation-season demand. In the past, prices would spike sharply during a particular week in February and then quickly stabilize, but recently they have been rising gradually throughout the winter. In November and December last year, transaction values for cut flowers rose 14% and 18%, respectively, from a year earlier. An official at the aT Flower Center analyzed, "In February, consumption of bouquet flowers such as roses and freesias was brisk for the entrance and graduation season," adding, "Considering that the market saw its peak season at the end of last year, it appears that buying interest tends to be strong throughout the winter."