Forbiddenly priced fruit

People shop at a traditional market in Seoul on Sept. 16.

Preparing a Chuseok ritual table for a family of four is estimated to cost 303,750 won ($222) at traditional markets, up 4.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Price Research Center.

The estimate is based on 28 items typically used for the ritual table. The cost is 57,550 won less than the 361,300 won estimated for buying the same items at large supermarkets.

The price of five pears rose 16 percent to 27,300 won, while chicken increased 13.1 percent to 7,230 won per kilogram ($2.45 per pound). The prices of dates, chestnuts, croaker and green onions fell from a year earlier.