Vegetable and Fruit Prices Surge Amid Protracted Heatwave

Lee Young-hee, who runs a restaurant at a traditional market in Seoul, finds herself increasingly worried every time she goes grocery shopping these days.

[Lee Young-hee / Restaurant Owner: I was actually buying this (vegetable) at the market this morning, and do you know what the vendor said? They told me, 'Prices went up significantly today.']

Due to the prolonged heatwave, the prices of heat-vulnerable vegetables have risen sharply one after another, with cucumbers—a key ingredient for kimbap—surging 59% compared to a month ago.

The price of zucchini, commonly used as a garnish for kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), skyrocketed by 46% over the past month, while onions rose 10% and carrots 9%.

Wholesale prices for napa cabbage nearly doubled as crop conditions deteriorated due to the heatwave and drought.

[Jang Gwi-bong / Vegetable Vendor: They aren't growing because it's too hot, they just rot. Items that used to cost around 2,500 won per bundle are now 5,000 to 6,000 won, almost doubling.]

The price of spinach has also doubled, and because it easily wilts in the heat, vendors cannot even display it outside.

[Jang Gwi-bong / Vegetable Vendor: Spinach melts in the hot weather, so it's impossible to keep out. We wrap it in newspaper and only provide it to customers who specifically ask for it.]

Seasonal fruits have not escaped the impact of the heatwave either.

Watermelon prices increased by 13% over the past month, and peaches are easily softened by the heat, making it difficult to sell them at proper prices.

[Geum Cheol-su / Fruit Vendor: When the peaches arrive, they feel warm to the touch. The peaches have absorbed the heat, so we have to sell them quickly. By the afternoon, we sell them with almost no margin.]

As so-called 'heatflation'—inflation driven by scorching weather—drives up prices, consumers' shopping baskets are becoming lighter.

[Hong Seon-ja / Yangcheon-gu, Seoul: Vegetables, eolgali (summer napa cabbage), young radish, and napa cabbage have gone up a lot. It's too burdensome to buy them, so we end up looking for cheaper alternatives.]

The government stated that current vegetable prices remain relatively low compared to typical years, and announced plans to ease the burden on consumers by offering government discounts of up to 40% at large supermarkets and traditional markets leading up to the Chuseok holiday peak season.

Prices Double One After Another... The Fear of 'Heatflation'

(Reported by Hong Young-jae | Produced by Bae Jun-hwi | Filmed by Kim Hak-mo | Edited by Park Ji-in | Design by Hwang Se-yeon | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.