Soaring food prices in Korea catch tourists off guard

Summary

Tourists in Korea are surprised by the significant increase in food prices, attributed to the pandemic's impact on restaurant pricing.

Abstract

Foreign visitors to South Korea are expressing shock at the soaring cost of dining out, with prices for popular items like fried chicken and soju rising sharply since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in food prices is a result of higher food ingredient costs, wage expenses, and other pandemic-related factors. Restaurants, including well-known chains like Kyochon and Burger King, have been compelled to raise their prices, making it difficult for tourists to manage their travel budgets. This unexpected expense is causing some tourists to reconsider the frequency of their visits to Korea.

Opinions

Toey Suwat, a Thai tourist, notes the cost of fried chicken has risen from around 15,000 won to over 20,000 won, making him more hesitant to spend.
A Taiwanese tourist remarks that soju prices have jumped from 3,000 won to 5,000 won or more, along with other food items, leading to concerns about future visits to Korea.
The article confirms that the majority of restaurants in Korea have increased their prices, with specific examples like Kyochon raising chicken prices by up to 3,000 won and Burger King increasing burger set prices by 2% on average.
The sentiment among tourists is that the rising food costs are a notable issue, necessitating an adjustment in travel budgets for dining out during their stay.

Soaring food prices in Korea catch tourists off guard

Image Credits: blog.naver.com/from4022

Foreign visitors to Korea are finding themselves taken aback by the steep food prices in the country.

“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,” said Toey Suwat, a 45-year-old tourist from Thailand.

The surge in food prices seems to have caught many travelers off guard, with restaurants raising their prices in response to the ongoing effects of the pandemic.

This has made it more challenging for tourists to afford to dine out while visiting the country.

“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,” voiced a 34-year-old Taiwanese tourist.

And it's true.

The majority of restaurants in Korea have dramatically increased their pricing over the previous year due to rising food ingredient prices, wage costs, and other factors.

Just last month, a famous fried chicken chain, Kyochon, increased the price of its chicken by a maximum of 3,000 won.

Burger King also raised the prices on some of its burger sets by 2% on average.

While Korea continues to grapple with the repercussions of the pandemic, it appears that the rising food costs have become a noteworthy concern for foreign tourists, who may have to adjust their travel budgets accordingly during their stay in the country.

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Soaring food prices in Korea catch tourists off guard

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