Korean Job Discussion Forums

Dev · Joined: 18 Apr 2006

Is it just me or do you also think fruit is ridiculously priced in this country? I just passed a stand selling apples at a cost of 6 for 5,000 won. Okay, they were a little bigger and nicer looking than the usual market apples, but we're looking at almost $1 an apple here.

Why is fruit so expensive here? Is there a fruit shortage? Is fruit a fashionable luxury item? It's cheaper to fill up on chocolate and soju for that price. What do low income people eat in Korea? I think if I were a student with 1000 won to burn, I'd rather spend it on an hour at the PC Bang.

There's the secret folks! Why Koreans are so thin compared to westerners? The PC Bang diet - video games & cigarettes.

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

skinhead · Joined: 11 Jun 2004

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I think the prices are the result of a highly inefficient industry.

Dev · Joined: 18 Apr 2006

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

RR posted an article very recently (may be last week?) that shows just how expensive food in Korea is. I think of all the OECD countries, Korea is number 5 in terms of high prices.

Let me find the link and show you.

Here it is:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?p=893289&highlight=#893289

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

My local street vendors charge about 500W per apple, and always toss an extra in the bag. Still, that's damned expensive compared to the States.

It makes me wonder how restaurant food can be so cheap.

MantisBot · Joined: 28 Nov 2005 Location: Itaewon, Seoul, SK

500won an apple + 1 free is expensive?

Maybe I've lived in NYC too long... $1.50-$1.99/lb isn't unusual there.

flotsam · Joined: 28 Mar 2006

TECO · Joined: 20 Jan 2003

That's what I love about living in Thailand and Taiwan, they sell fruit so cheap and everywhere almost on the street. Nothing special.

In Japan and Korea, on the other hand, it's a frickin' luxury that you get ripped off for. They wrap it up in ribbons and boxes as gifts and pay hundreds of dollars for melons and so on. Crazy. And it's not sold on the street by vendors like in Thailand and Taiwan. Too bad.

Dev · Joined: 18 Apr 2006

Tiberious aka Sparkles · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: I'm one cool cat!

flotsam · Joined: 28 Mar 2006

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

I saw an apple for $10 in Japan...for one friggin' apple!

Supply and demand. Korean produce is protected from cheaper imports and massive populations in the Seoul Metropolitan area mean demand is high.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

part of the problem is that the domestic Korean economy is way over-protected therefore we are paying more because Korea can't produce food efficently and taxes food really highly that imports.