Extreme summer heat is pushing up food prices in South Korea just as millions of families prepare for Chuseok, one of the country’s biggest holidays.
The holiday concentrates demand for fruit, meat, eggs, fish and vegetables within a short period because families traditionally gather for large meals and ancestral rites. That makes Chuseok shopping a closely watched gauge of household food costs and a particularly visible moment for weather related price pressures.
This year’s increase reflects a broader problem that has become familiar across major economies. Extreme heat and heavy rainfall can disrupt livestock and crop production, while higher energy costs and currency movements can raise the price of imported food. In South Korea, those pressures are now appearing in the cost of chicken, eggs, vegetables and seafood ahead of the holiday.
A family of four is expected to spend about $224 to prepare a traditional Chuseok table at a traditional market, according to Korea Price Information, a South Korean private price research firm. That is up 1.2% from last year. The same basket at a major supermarket is estimated at $294, up 1.6%.
The overall increase is relatively modest, but several key ingredients have become much more expensive.
About 3.3 lb of chicken at traditional markets cost $6.6, up 12.5% from a year earlier, while the price of 10 eggs climbed 16.7% to $2.6. Extreme summer heat worsened conditions for livestock and contributed to the increases.
Vegetable prices also rose sharply. Korean zucchini increased 33.3% from a year earlier, while radish prices climbed 20%.
Imported seafood faced a different set of pressures. Russian pollock fillets rose 30% to $9.6 as higher oil prices and exchange rate movements increased import costs.
Major supermarkets showed a similar pattern. Egg prices rose 20.1%, pork shoulder increased 10.1%, chicken gained 7.6%, kelp climbed 6.3% and Russian pollock fillets rose 5%.
Prices did not rise across the entire holiday table. Apples, pears, dried persimmons, jujubes, new crop rice, songpyeon rice cakes and tofu remained near last year’s levels. Napa cabbage fell 11.1%, while green onion prices at major supermarkets dropped 25.31%.
Supplies of freshly harvested apples and pears are also increasing ahead of Chuseok, with conditions expected to improve further as the main harvest season begins.
The estimated cost of a Chuseok table at traditional markets first moved above $300 in 2022 before easing to $299 in 2023 and $224 in 2024. It fell to $221 last year before moving back above $220 this year.
The South Korean government is trying to contain the increase by expanding food supplies and subsidizing discounts during the holiday shopping period.
Authorities plan to release a record 202,000 short tons of key Chuseok food products. Fruit supplies will rise to more than three times normal levels, while egg supplies will increase to as much as 2.4 times their usual level.
The government is also spending a record $76 million on discounts. Agricultural and livestock products will be offered at discounts of as much as 40%, while selected seafood products will be sold at discounts of as much as 50%.
Korea Price Information said extreme heat and heavy rainfall during the summer had raised prices for some agricultural, livestock and seafood products. Cooler temperatures are now improving growing and shipping conditions, while the arrival of newly harvested products could ease some of the pressure before the holiday.
South Korea’s Chuseok shopping season is showing how quickly weather disruptions can move through the food supply chain and reach consumers. The holiday simply makes those changes easier to see because millions of households are buying many of the same ingredients at nearly the same time.
