This year's cost of preparing the Chuseok ritual table has decreased by about 2% compared to last year. The prices of fruits such as apples and pears have stabilized, marking the first decline in costs in five years. However, prices for beef and some vegetables have increased, showing variability among items.
The Korean Consumer Agency's Price Monitoring Center reported on September 8 that it surveyed prices of 25 ritual items at 90 locations, including 11 department stores, 23 large supermarkets, 21 super supermarkets (SSM), 19 general supermarkets, and 16 traditional markets in 25 districts of Seoul from September 3 to 4.
The average cost of preparing the Chuseok ritual table for a family of four was 313,089 won, down 2.3% from last year's initial survey of 320,370 won. Among the 23 items that can be compared to last year, 14 items (60.9%) saw price decreases. This marks the first decline in preparation costs compared to the previous year in five years.
By item category, fruit prices fell the most, decreasing by 7.3% compared to last year. Seafood prices dropped by 6.8%, other food items by 3.5%, processed foods by 2.5%, and vegetables and mushrooms by 2.3%. In contrast, prices for livestock products rose by 0.8%.
Notably, the price of pears, which was a significant burden last year, fell by 12.9%, while apples dropped by 8.7%. In large supermarkets, apple prices decreased by 26.5%, and by 22.2% in SSMs. This decline is attributed to government discounts on agricultural and marine products during the survey period.
Among seafood, the price of mackerel saw the largest drop at 24.5%. However, dried pollack prices increased by 7.3%, and pollock fillets rose by 3.0%. The average price of dried pollack increased from 7,127 won last year to 7,649 won this year, which is still 18.2% higher than in 2024 when inflation was high.
Prices for some vegetables and livestock products have increased. Boiled bracken fern rose by 12.0%, the highest increase among all items. Other items that saw price increases include dried pollack (7.3%), peeled bellflower root (5.5%), beef for skewers (4.1%), eggs (3.9%), and beef for soup (3.0%).
There were significant price differences based on where items were purchased. Livestock and vegetable prices, which make up a large portion of the ritual table costs, were 30.7% and 26.0% cheaper in traditional markets compared to large supermarkets, respectively. For instance, 600 grams of domestic beef for skewers averaged 54,948 won in large supermarkets but was only 33,751 won in traditional markets, a 38.6% difference. Beef for soup was also 36.0% cheaper in traditional markets.
Boiled bracken fern, weighing 400 grams, averaged 14,688 won in large supermarkets, while it was 11,100 won in traditional markets, a 22.2% difference. Conversely, some items like eggs, apples, pears, and dried persimmons were found to be cheaper in large supermarkets than in traditional markets.
The overall cost of the ritual table varied by retail type, with traditional markets being the lowest at 252,594 won. General supermarkets averaged 251,020 won, SSMs 291,590 won, and large supermarkets 318,831 won. Department stores had the highest average cost at 487,449 won.
A representative from the Consumer Agency stated, "While prices for some items like meat and vegetables have risen, there may be limits to reducing the perceived burden of holiday prices for consumers. It is necessary to continuously monitor whether the government's discounts on agricultural and marine products are effectively reflected in consumer prices."
The agency plans to conduct an additional survey of ritual item prices one week before Chuseok to report on price fluctuations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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