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Tropical fruit production ripens as Korea's climate shifts

Published: 22 Mar. 2026, 07:00

Bananas are grown at a farm in Shinan County, South Jeolla. [LOTTE MART]

Rising temperatures are transforming Korea’s food supply, boosting domestic production of tropical fruits while disrupting catches of key winter fish as the country’s climate shifts toward subtropical conditions.

Supermarkets are stocking more locally grown alternatives to imports such as bananas from the Philippines, grapefruits from the United States and lemons from Spain as cultivation expands in Korea.

Domestic banana output has risen sharply in recent years as warmer weather extends growing regions beyond Jeju, Korea’s southernmost island, to places like Shinan County in South Jeolla. Subtropical crop cultivation in South Jeolla grew from 2441 acres in 2021 to 5930 acres last year, according to the Rural Development Administration.

Lotte Mart sold just 0.5 tons of Jeju-grown bananas in 2022 but expects sales to reach 4 tons this year, according to the franchise.

Demand for locally grown tropical fruits has also increased, supported by perceptions of higher sweetness and freshness as farmers harvest at full ripeness, along with fewer concerns over pesticide use. Sales of domestic tropical fruits such as bananas, dragon fruit and passion fruit at Lotte Mart rose 13 percent in 2024 and 15 percent in 2025 from a year earlier.

“In the past, locally grown tropical fruits mostly came from Jeju, but rising temperatures have expanded cultivation areas to the southern coast, including Shinan and Wando in South Jeolla,” said Yang Hye-won, a fruit merchandise planner at Lotte Mart and Lotte Super. “Consumers who prioritize high quality and freshness are increasingly choosing domestically grown tropical fruits.”

Yellowtail fish feed at a fish farm in Geoje, South Gyeongsang [EMART]

Warming seas have also disrupted fisheries, making winter species such as hairtail, yellow corvina and amberjack harder to catch as they move away from Korea's southern waters.

Hairtail production in January totaled 1,939 tons, down 58 percent from a year earlier and about half the five-year monthly average of 4,650 tons, according to the Korea Maritime Institute.

“Hairtail prefer water temperatures around 21 degrees Celsius [70 degrees Fahrenheit], but temperatures now exceed 25 degrees even in winter,” an Emart representative said. “They have dispersed to deeper waters or further north, causing fishing grounds to become fragmented and resulting in a decrease in catch volume”

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 CHOI HYUN-JU [[email protected]]