Over 99.9% of South Korea's imported kimchi comes from China
(ECNS) -- Cabbage is an essential ingredient in South Korean cuisine. In 2024, South Korea produced 530,000 metric tons of kimchi and imported 310,000 metric tons from abroad, of which 99.98% came from China, according to CCTV.
At South Korean farmers' markets, a head of cabbage costs about 7.5 yuan (about $1.05), while in Seoul supermarkets the price can reach as high as 35 yuan. Due to poor harvests caused by adverse weather conditions in 2024, the prices of a single cabbage even soared to 130 yuan at one point.
Chinese producers have seized opportunities for cooperation with South Korea during the country's kimchi crisis. Pingdu in east China's Shandong Province, for example, has developed into a major kimchi export base, while the "green channel" customs clearance system ensures fresh delivery of kimchi shipments to South Korea.
In 2024, China–South Korea trade totalled 2.33 trillion yuan, with China remaining South Korea's largest trading partner and South Korea becoming China's second-largest trading partner.
(By Gong Weiwei)