It's a reality that's different from the statistics..."I'm scared to go grocery shopping" at soaring vegetable prices.

'I can't feel it' despite a 1.6% slowdown in consumer price growth
"Fear of Reservation Disruption of Pickled Cabbage" at Large Supermarkets Ahead of Kimjang Season
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, "Cabbage prices are expected to stabilize after the middle of this month."

[Anchor]
Consumer price growth slowed to around 1% last month, but the reality is completely different.

The prices that consumers feel are still high due to steep vegetable prices.

I'm reporter Hwang Bo Hye-kyung.

[Reporter]
I carefully examine the price tag on the vegetables and think about whether to put it in the shopping basket for a long time.

Consumer prices rose only 1% last month for the first time in three and a half years, but the figure does not reach consumers.

[Kim Young-ja / Deokyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do: We don't feel it at all. Consumers don't have any. I'm scared to put it in my shopping cart. I'm scared.]

[Bae In-gyu / Galhyeon-dong, Seoul: I don't think I feel that the growth rate has slowed. I can't just buy it like I used to, but I think a little bit about it and go grocery shopping.]

In fact, consumer prices for vegetables rose 18% last month from a month ago and more than 11% from a year ago.

This is because the crop is not good due to abnormal weather such as heat waves, and the rise was much greater compared to the overall inflation rate of agricultural and livestock products last month.

As of the 2nd, one cabbage was 9,200 won, up 33% from a year ago,
The price of
radish, spinach, and red lettuce also jumped significantly to around 50%.

In particular, large discount stores that have pre-booked pickled cabbage ahead of the kimchi-making season are worried that supply and demand will be disrupted.

Pickled cabbage, which was sold for less than 30,000 won, was sold out in a day. We are watching the cabbage crop and supply situation in the future so that there is no disruption in the rest of the supplies.

The government predicted that cabbage prices will stabilize after the middle of this month due to improved cultivation conditions as temperatures gradually fall.

It also plans to announce measures related to the supply and demand of kimchi ingredients within this month.

[Song Mi-ryeong / Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (YTN Radio 'Wise Radio Life'): The ingredients you need for making kimchi are about 14 agricultural products. Supply and demand are stable except for cabbage and radish. We are going to announce the supply and demand stabilization plan for kimchi ingredients within October.]

Despite the government's announcement of a series of measures, consumers looking at price indicators that are different from reality are sighing.

I'm YTN Hwang Bo Hye-kyung.

Filmmaker: Kwon Seok-jae
Design: Im Saetbyul