Kimjang 2026 in Korea: Ingredient Prices and Discounts
Every November, supermarkets in Korea fill their entrances with stacks of napa cabbage, sacks of sea salt and tubs of salted shrimp. This is kimjang, the season when households make the winter's kimchi in one large batch, a custom UNESCO added to its list of intangible heritage in 2013. If you live in Korea, or you are visiting in late autumn, the season shows up in prices, in discount banners and in the questions neighbours ask each other.
This year the main vegetables are cheaper than last year and the seasonings are not. Figures from the national agricultural price service for October 16 put one head of cabbage at a little over 5,500 won, about a tenth below the same day a year earlier, and one radish at about 2,300 won. Salted shrimp, the fermented seasoning that gives the kimchi its depth, went the other way: just over 20,000 won per kilogram, roughly a third more than in 2025. Anchovy sauce rose slightly, while green onion, ginger and peeled garlic were all cheaper.
The fisheries ministry answered with a discount that is already running. From October 28 to November 29, fifty-six supermarkets and online shops take a fifth off domestic seafood, with the government paying up to 10,000 won per person, and stores may stack their own reductions on top. Salt, salted shrimp, anchovy sauce and oysters are all on the list. The agriculture ministry said in mid-October that cabbage and radish supply should be steady from November, and press reports say its own package starts on November 9; when I checked on November 1, that plan had not yet been posted.
As for timing, the weather service's rule of thumb is to wait until the daily average stays at or below 4 degrees and the overnight low drops to freezing or lower. Averaged over decades, the capital reaches that threshold at the very end of November, while Daegu and Gwangju reach it in the first half of December and Busan not until early January. Treat those as averages rather than a forecast for this particular winter, and look at the week's weather before booking a cabbage delivery.
The full guide on the Playground lists the October prices for ten ingredients with the change against last year, explains how the seafood discount works and where to find the participating shops, covers safe use of pre-salted cabbage and the places where a visitor can actually join a kimchi session, and ends with the points that could not be confirmed yet.
Read the full guide on Hello Korea Playground → Kimjang 2026 in Korea: Ingredient Prices and Discounts
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