“Naengmyeon 18,000 Won, Samgyetang 20,000 Won”… Office Workers’ Lunch Costs Deepen Sighs

Office workers in Seoul are feeling the pinch as lunch costs continue to climb, a trend dubbed 'lunchflation.' The problem has been exacerbated by a premature heatwave, which has driven up prices for quintessential summer dishes like naengmyeon (cold noodles) and samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup).

According to the Korea Consumer Agency's price information portal, the average price of naengmyeon in Seoul rose by 4.1% from April last year to 12,615 won in April this year. However, prices at well-known specialty restaurants are even higher. At the renowned Woo Lae Oak, a bowl of naengmyeon now costs between 18,000 and 20,000 won, while Nam Po Myeon Ok increased its price to 16,000 won. Many other famous Pyongyang naengmyeon restaurants in Seoul now charge at least 15,000 won per bowl.

This price surge is not confined to Seoul. The average price of naengmyeon in most regions outside of Chungbuk, Jeonnam, and Jeju now exceeds 10,000 won, with some areas seeing increases of up to 7.6%. The restaurant industry attributes these hikes to rising costs of ingredients, labor, and rent. For instance, the price of 100g of Grade 1 Korean beef brisket in Seoul has increased compared to last year.

Samgyetang prices have also climbed steeply. The average price for a bowl in Seoul rose by 3.7% from 17,500 won last year to 18,154 won in April. Some popular samgyetang restaurants in Seoul's Jongno district are now charging 20,000 won for a basic serving. The price of chicken, a key ingredient, has also gone up significantly, partly due to the culling of over 300,000 breeding chickens following the avian influenza outbreak last winter, which reduced supply.

The rising costs extend beyond seasonal dishes. Staple lunch items like kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) set meals, gimbap, jajangmyeon, and kalguksu have also seen price increases in Seoul. Even popular dinner options like samgyeopsal (pork belly) have become more expensive. Analysts predict that the upward trend in dining-out prices will continue, with the Bank of Korea revising its inflation forecast upward due to factors like rising international oil prices and currency exchange rates. The persistent nature of these price hikes means office workers will likely continue to face financial pressure.