2) Imported kimchi

Imported kimchi is actually 100% Chinese, and it is mainly consumed at restaurants and other dining places. They tend to use cheap imported kimchi or some of them make their own because of fierce competition in food prices. The average price of imported kimchi in 2020 was KRW 1,055/kg, up 28.2% from the previous year but still cheaper than the price of domestic kimchi estimated at KRW 3,011/kg (2021 Food Distribution Almanac).

Last year, kimchi supply from China decreased because of COVID-19, and kimchi imports to Korea also fell 8.1% year over year. However, imports temporarily declined from February to April at the height of the COVID-19 crisis, and kimchi imports recovered to the previous year’s level (Figure 2). This is worthy evidence that the restaurant business has been normalized as COVID-19 quarantine measures have achieved the desired results. Therefore, imported kimchi did not receive much media attention at the beginning of the year.

In March, a video clip showing pickled cabbage in China was released, highlighting the hygiene problems of imported kimchi. An unbelievable video of a topless man entering a large storage tank installed outdoors and scooping out pickled cabbage using hydraulic shovels, civil engineering equipment, shocked the Korean people, who eat kimchi every day.

Domestic media have made headlines every day using sensational expressions such as “Kimchi pickled with body,” “Pickled with naked body,” “Naked cabbage,” and “Naked kimchi.” Chinese officials said the pickled cabbage was not for export, but public antipathy toward imported kimchi increased day by day, and restaurants were severly damaged even before fully recovering from COVID-19. At last, the government began to crack down on the labeling of kimchi’s origins, strengthen sanitary inspections of imported kimchi, and push for on-site inspections of overseas kimchi manufacturers.

Table 2. News release – imported kimchi

Kimchi imports, which were close to the pre-COVID-19 (2019) levels between February and March (2019), declined sharply in April because of the “Pickled cabbage with naked body” crisis but rebounded in May (Figure 2). At a time when restaurants have failed to replace imported kimchi with Korean ones because of the price difference between domestic and foreign kimchi, trends included “Eased social distancing, and increased external activities and eating out” (Seoul Shinmun, June 17, 2021), and restaurant operations have been activated. Once COVID-19 is over, kimchi imports are expected to return to pre-COVID-19 levels.

Because imported kimchi is already deeply embedded in our daily lives, the government should take strict measures against foreign companies that do not meet the standards to prevent Koreans from suffering emotional or health damage resulting from hygiene problems in imported kimchi. The Special Act on Imported Food Safety Management (abbreviated as the “Imported Food Act”) was revised last year, allowing foreign Kimchi manufacturers to apply the HACCP equally to domestic companies. It is expected that authorities take measures to prevent the revised law from becoming invalidated.

Figure 2. Korea’s monthly kimchi imports (Jan. 2019 - May 2021)