Korean Job Discussion Forums

Cohiba · Joined: 01 Feb 2005

I was in E-Mart today and I saw watermelons. 15,000KRW each!
I really don't understand who can afford to but these. Maybe only
the presidents and VPs of large corporations. I thought Korean GDP
has dipped below US$20,000/person again. How can your average
Korean buy one?

Which brings me to how they can possibly cost so much in the first
place. You throw a few seeds on the ground and a few months later
there are melons there. Big deal. How does that equal fifteen bucks
a pop?

Needless to say I didn't buy one. I got a huge 2cm thick USDA steak
specially cut for less money.

pkang0202 · Joined: 09 Mar 2007

In Korea, you larn quickly to buy produce off the back of blue trucks. Not in marts.

crsandus · Joined: 05 Oct 2004

I've seen some street fruit vendors selling watermelons for 10K but it's still seems expensive to me since I'm used to paying $3-$5 for watermelons in the states.

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

5,000 won off my local blue truck.

okokok · Joined: 27 Aug 2006

My wife bought one the other day. I can't get her to stop.

Bloopity Bloop · Joined: 26 Apr 2009 Location: Seoul yo

I guess I better start eating my fill of watermelons now.

Current price in Irvine, California: $0.25 per pound

sjk1128 · Joined: 04 Feb 2005

I just the other day saw a blue truck vendor outside the Uijeongbu Home Plus selling watermelons for 3/ 10,000. His sign said "home grown" in Korean. Just down the street another guy was selling them for 5,000 each. There sure doesn't seem to be much consistency, but 15,000 each!? That's nuts.

I didn't buy any because I don't like them much. If only I could find a blue truck guy with cheap avocados on the back, I'd be in heaven. Costco has good ones, but they sure do cost!

harlowethrombey · Joined: 17 Mar 2009 Location: Seoul

15 is darn cheap.

In japan you're lucky to find one for under 50 dollars.

Also, you can grab them from the street vendors for under 10,000. I've seen them as low as 5,000.

Yesterday · Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 1:34 am Post subject:

Korea has always been OVERPRICED when it comes to fresh fruit, vegetables and fresh meat.

Most of their fruit and veggies come from the Philippines - so you are paying huge import duty on dirt-cheap fruit

The other half of the fruit is grown down the south of South Korea (especially Jeju) - so is just overpriced to make the Korean farmers happy.

I have been paying 12,000won for one medium green (honey dew) melon

and 12,000won for a bag of 4 hallabongs...

the melon price works out the same as the tangerines, hallabongs and apples

if you eat one tangerine - or one hallabong - or one apple a day it works out to 2,000won per day

whereas if you cut the melon in 6 - and just eat 1/6 per day - it works out to about the same price.

(in Korea its basically cheaper to just purchase processed-frozen food and stay away from the fresh healthy food)

Its crazy - but I pay the (2,000won) per day to try to stay healthy with a daily-piece or two of fresh fruit

StAxX SOuL · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Location: London

I always thought this was pretty standard from the marts� easily 15K � 20K in GS Mart and that was back in 2006� can�t believe anyone would ever pay that much for a Watermelon�

Frankly Mr Shankly · Joined: 13 Feb 2008

Robot_Teacher · Joined: 18 Feb 2009 Location: Robotting Around the World

I seen a smallish watermelon in a small mart today for 22,000 and a cantaloupe melon for 17,000. I'm eating over priced bananas and various greens.

simIAN · Joined: 02 Sep 2007

It is too early in the season for cheap watermelons. In a month they will all be about 5000 won.

Mr. BlackCat · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Location: Insert witty remark HERE

Watermelons are severly overpriced in stores here. Off the trucks is the only way to go. My local small grocer has them for something like 30,000 right now. Maybe 20,000 for the small ones. Reedunkulous. Teachers at my school are always bringing them in and they defend the unbelievable prices with the usual Korean nationalist nonsense. Apparently, Jeju watermelons are world famous for their...something or other. I'm something of a watermelon connoisseur and I never even heard of Jeju in any capacity before coming here. But as we all know everywhere and everything in Korea is world famous for something. It's like the Jackson family here.

Maybe we're just spoiled in North America. Fresh produce year round at relatively cheap prices. Too bad our meat is all tainted with mad cow.

BS.Dos. · Joined: 29 Mar 2007

5000 a pop down our way. They're big too.