With unusually hot weather arriving in Korea earlier than usual, prices of summer vegetables and fruits such as watermelon are climbing quickly, adding to the overall pressure on grocery bills.
Due to rising vegetable prices and supply issues from the summer heat, Korean fast food chains are dropping tomatoes from burgers and mixing lettuce with cabbage.
A customer shops for vegetables at a discount mart in downtown Seoul on Sunday.
An employee displays lettuce at a discount supermarket in downtown Seoul on Wednesday.
A customer picks up a lettuce bundle at a traditional market in downtown Seoul on Tuesday. The price of vegetables such as lettuce and spinach soared amid frequent rain during the monsoon season.
Packaged side dishes and frozen foods are gaining popularity as the cost of dining out and the appetite for quick eats grow. Even common fresh foods such as vegetables and fruits have become trendy in the subzero status.
With prices of fruits and vegetables rising constantly, demand for cheaper frozen options is on the rise.
Prices of vegetables remain high due to the extended cold spell. A photo above shows a vegetable stand at a supermarket in Seoul on Monday.
Based on reports by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, the wholesale price on 20 kilograms of radish on Thursday was 29,000 won ($22). That’s a 36.8 percent increase from a week ago.
Customers are getting lettuce-less hamburgers as vegetable prices soar due to a cold snap, and the situation is expected to continue.
Korea JoongAng Daily Sitemap
