Cabbage breaks 7,000 won per head after heat waves and heavy rain

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Cabbage breaks 7,000 won per head after heat waves and heavy rain

Published: 19 Aug. 2025, 13:39 Updated: 19 Aug. 2025, 14:19

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Napa cabbage is for sale at a traditional market in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul, on Aug. 6. [NEWS1]

The average retail price of a head of napa cabbage has surpassed 7,000 won ($5.04) — up more than 50 percent from a month ago — as heat waves and heavy rains hit harvests, though officials expect supplies from highland farms and government stockpiles to ease the spike soon.

The average retail price of cabbage was 7,062 won as of Monday, up 9.3 percent from the same period of last year and 11 percent higher than the seasonal average, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation on Tuesday.

Prices climbed from 6,871 won last Wednesday to 7,023 won the following day and have since remained above 7,000 won. Compared to the previous month, prices surged 52 percent, an increase of nearly 2,500 won in just one month.

Cabbage is usually more expensive in August than it is in July, but this year’s price increase is far steeper than usual. Analysts attribute the surge to abnormal weather conditions, including prolonged heat waves and heavy rains.

An official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said crop yields had been hit by the extreme weather but added, “Shipments of highland cabbage from Gangwon are increasing from mid-August, and the government is also releasing reserve supplies to the market, so prices are expected to stabilize.”

Wholesale prices, which typically lead retail prices by two to three weeks, have already begun to decline.

As of Thursday, the wholesale price of cabbage was 4,393 won, down 23.6 percent from a year earlier and 5.7 percent below the seasonal average.

Watermelons are for sale at a traditional market in Seoul on Aug. 10. [NEWS1]

Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung said at a press briefing on Aug. 7 that the government would manage supply using reserves to offset the effects of extreme weather.

“Cabbage prices will remain higher than usual, but we can get through without major disruptions,” she said.

Other produce prices have shown mixed trends. The price of a radish was 2,588 won, 18 percent lower than last year. A head of green cabbage was 4,526 won, up 3.3 percent. Tomatoes were 5,571 won per kilogram, up 11.1 percent from a year earlier.

Watermelons, which had topped 30,000 won earlier this summer, have dropped to 29,910 won as the season winds down. While still 9.8 percent higher than the seasonal average, they are 4.8 percent cheaper than last year.

White peaches, sold in packs of 10, were priced at 22,685 won, up 26.3 percent from a year ago and 10.9 percent higher than the seasonal average.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]