Foreign tourists surprised by soaring food prices in Korea

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Lifestyle

Tue, October 3, 2023 | 06:16

Travel & Food

Foreign tourists surprised by soaring food prices in Korea

Posted : 2023-05-04 17:23

Updated : 2023-05-07 16:23

Foreign tourists visit the popular shopping district of Myeong-dong in central Seoul on March 22. Korea Times file

By Kim Jae-heun

Toey Suwat, a 45-year-old tourist from Thailand was surprised to find out how expensive dining out in Korea has become since her last visit three years ago.

"I visited Korea before COVID-19 and so many restaurants here have increased food prices in three years. I remember fried chicken normally cost around 15,000 won back then and now it costs well over 20,000 won. I feel more reluctant to spend now," Suwat said.

A 34-year-old Taiwanese tourist called, En En Vorachit also echoed the same sentiments, saying that he cannot visit Korea without having to worry about money anymore.

"Last time I came to Korea, a bottle of soju cost 3,000 won at restaurants. Now, it cost 5,000 won or more. Other food prices have increased so much too. I don't think I can visit Korea as many times as I would like to in the future," Vorachit said.

Menu shows burger prices attached to Burger King's restaurant in Seoul, March 8. Yonhap

According to the Korea Consumer Agency, the average price of eight top dining items in Seoul, including "samgyeopsal," or pork belly; "samgyetang," or chicken soup with ginseng; and "naengmyeon," or cold noodles; rose by an average of 16.3 percent in March from the previous year due to soaring inflation. Most restaurants, franchise-affiliated or independently-run, here have raised their prices sharply over the past year due to soaring prices of food ingredients and higher wages, among other factors.

One of the country's largest fried chicken chains, Kyochon F&B, increased the price of chicken on its menu by a maximum of 3,000 won on April 3. Burger King also raised the prices on some of its burger sets by 2 percent on average as of April 10.

On Jeju Island, one of the top tourist destinations in Korea, tourists spent an average of 660,000 won per person on food, which is 60,745 won more than what they spent last year.

According to the 2022 Survey on Visitors to Jeju Island, released by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and Jeju Tourism Organization, the biggest complaint of tourists was travel inflation. Over 53 percent of respondents said it is now too pricey to have a holiday on the island.

"If the traveling costs continue to increase in Korea, it will be harder for foreign tourists to visit the country without financial burden," Suwat said.

jhkim@koreatimes.co.kr