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Climateflation's impact: South Korea faces soaring vegetable prices ahead of Chuseok
🇰🇷 South Korea /Environment & Climate

Climateflation's impact: South Korea faces soaring vegetable prices ahead of Chuseok

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • South Korea faces rising vegetable prices, particularly for lettuce and cabbage, ahead of the Chuseok holiday due to extreme weather.
  • "Climateflation" is driving up costs as heatwaves and heavy rains damage crops, impacting household budgets.
  • Experts warn that abnormal weather patterns are becoming normalized, creating a structural problem of recurring supply shortages and price hikes.

South Korea is bracing for a significant increase in vegetable prices, especially for lettuce and cabbage, just a month before the Chuseok holiday. This surge is attributed to "climateflation," a phenomenon where climate change-induced extreme weather events disrupt food supplies and drive up costs.

I'm already worried about the cost of preparing the ancestral rites table for the upcoming Chuseok.

— Housewife AA shopper in Seoul expressed concern about rising food prices impacting holiday preparations.

Record-breaking heatwaves and localized heavy rainfall in August have severely impacted crop yields. The prices for wholesale green lettuce have already risen 22.7% above the average, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Distribution Corporation. Cabbage, a staple in Korean cuisine, is also experiencing sharp price increases due to rot caused by heat and humidity. Lettuce and spinach harvests have plummeted, making it difficult to secure sufficient supply for the market.

This price hike is directly affecting consumers, with many shoppers expressing concern about the rising cost of groceries. The situation is compounded by the fact that these climate-related disruptions are becoming a recurring issue. Global warming is leading to more frequent extreme weather, creating a structural problem where annual agricultural supply shortages and price spikes are becoming the norm.

The volatility of agricultural product supply is very high due to the continued heatwave through mid-to-late August and the possibility of additional typhoons.

— Distribution industry officialAn industry representative highlighted the precarious supply situation for agricultural products.

Industry insiders are calling for urgent government intervention, including the release of government-held reserves and measures to stabilize supply. While the government plans to implement measures to ease the burden on consumers during the Chuseok holiday, there are concerns that these actions may not be enough to address the root cause of the problem: the increasing frequency of climate-related agricultural disruptions.

Government measures to stabilize supply and demand are urgently needed ahead of the Chuseok holiday.

— Distribution industry officialThe official called for government action to address the rising prices and supply issues.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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