Major dining-out menu prices continue their upward trend in the second half of this year as well.

Prices of not only traditional summer dining-out menus like samgyetang and naengmyeon, but also gimbap, considered an affordable meal, rose last month.

This is due to a combination of seasonal demand concentrated on certain foods, rising ingredient prices driven by intense heatwaves, and the cumulative cost burdens on the restaurant industry.

According to T-Price, the Korea Consumer Agency's price information portal, the average price of samgyetang in Seoul rose from 18,154 won to 18,192 won in July.

Naengmyeon increased from 12,615 won to 12,692 won, while the price of a single roll of gimbap also went up from 3,838 won to 3,869 won.

The average price of samgyetang, enjoyed as a representative summer health food, rose from 18,000 won in December of last year to 18,154 won in January of this year, marking its first price increase in six months.

This is because chicken consumption surged due to increased demand for summer health foods, compounded by the special boost from the 2026 North and Central America World Cup.

The burden of production costs, such as feed and logistics expenses, is also a factor driving up prices.

Insam (ginseng) used in samgyetang has also surged significantly due to the combined aftermath of declining supply and weakened production foundations.

As of the 21st, the average price of 1chae (12 to 14 roots) of fresh ginseng stood at 38,750 won, up 56% compared to the price during the same period last year (24,800 won).

Jung Sung-hoon, representative of Tosokchon, a well-known samgyetang restaurant, explained, "The recent sharp rise in ginseng prices is increasing pressure to raise prices, and minimum wage increases are also reflected at the beginning of the year."

For naengmyeon, a popular menu item whose demand spikes with the onset of scorching heat, the average price has risen three times this year in Seoul: from 12,500 won in December last year to 12,538 won in January, 12,615 won in April, and 12,692 won in July.

Woo Lae Oak, a famous Pyongyang naengmyeon specialty restaurant in Seoul, raised its naengmyeon price from 16,000 won to 18,000 won last April.

This is the result of overlapping factors including increased summer demand, rising prices for broth ingredients such as Korean beef brisket, and growing operating expenses like labor, rent, and gas.

As for gimbap, the average price per roll in Seoul rose from 3,723 won in December last year to 3,800 won in January this year, followed by 3,838 won in June and 3,869 won in July, marking a total of three price hikes this year alone.

In particular, prices have risen for two consecutive months, further weighing on the financial burden of ordinary citizens.

Because gimbap is a labor-intensive dining-out menu that requires preparing and cooking various ingredients before rolling them into a single line, rising labor costs directly translate to price increases.

Furthermore, recent intense heatwaves have caused the prices of raw ingredients for gimbap, such as seaweed (gim) and spinach, to skyrocket, dealing a direct blow from so-called "heatflation" (heat plus inflation).

Lim Sang-min, head of the living price team at the Korea Price Association, forecasted, "Dining-out prices in the first half of this year can be summed up as 'a trend of moderate but unyielding, continuous increases without a single pause,' and dining-out prices in the second half will maintain a trend of continued moderate growth even if there are no sharp spikes."