Recently, there has been a substantial issue with the supply and pricing of kimchi in South Korea due to an incident of severe rainfall resulting in a bridge running through the center of Seoul being completely submerged. This has caused a dramatic decrease in yield for cabbage, which is an essential ingredient for kimchi, as well as a significant increase in its price. 10 kilograms of cabbage has risen to nearly 2.5 times higher than what it was during the same period last year, with 5 kilograms made in China costing around 1,300 yen while 900 grams made domestically costs 1,500 yen.
The price of Korean kimchi has increased due to increasing demand. This has led some restaurants in Japan to consider switching to Chinese kimchi as an alternative. However, this option has been met with distrust following a viral video that depicted a shirtless man throwing what appeared to be Chinese cabbage into muddy water. As a result, many restaurants have continued using Korean kimchi despite the price increase. Moreover, it was discovered that some were falsely labeling their kimchi as Korean-made which resulted in fines of up to 10 million yen from authorities.
Despite the current supply and pricing issues regarding Chinese cabbage and concerns about the origin of Chinese kimchi, some restaurants in Japan are still offering it for sale at around 500 yen per pack, usually accompanied by side dishes. Nevertheless, due to the lack of trust in Chinese kimchi, many eateries are still using Korean kimchi as an alternative. Customers are thus advised to enquire about the origin of ingredients before purchasing kimchi.