Life News

Chuseok table costs: 302,500, 303,750 or 313,089 won? Three surveys, three answers

South Koreans preparing for Chuseok, the harvest holiday on 24-26 September, are getting mixed signals about the cost of the traditional charye table. The Asia Business Daily reported a Korea Consumer Agency Council survey of 90 stores in Seoul which put the average cost for a family of four at 313,089 won, down 2.3% from last year and the first fall in five years of surveys. Fruit and seafood got cheaper, with yellow croaker down 24.5%, helped by government discounts.

Korea JoongAng Daily cited Korea Price Information, which found the table cost about 302,500 won at traditional markets, up 1.2%, and 397,700 won at supermarkets. Eggs were up 16.7% and Korean beef sirloin up 22.6% after a summer with twice the usual number of heatwave days. The government promised a record 183,000 tons of holiday food supplies and 103bn won for market discounts.

In a follow-up, the same paper quoted the Korea Price Research Center's 28-item table at 303,750 won, up 4%, and found shoppers switching to imported beef, cheaper pork cuts and pre-cut vegetables.

“Hanwoo is just too much of a burden.” — a shopper, via Korea JoongAng Daily

How each outlet framed it

• The Asia Business Daily — some relief: a first fall, and traditional markets much cheaper for meat and vegetables.
• Korea JoongAng Daily — pressure on wallets: dearer beef and eggs, and families trading down.

Where the numbers differ: The surveys cover different items, shops and cities, so they cannot be compared directly. One shared tip: traditional markets were cheaper for beef and vegetables, while large supermarkets were cheaper for eggs and seasonal fruit.