"Home-Cooked Meals Were the Only Affordable Option, but Now Even Hetbahn and Dumplings Are Going Up"

CJ CheilJedang Announces Average 8% Price Hike on 27 Products
Ottogi and Lotte Chilsung Lead with Earlier Price Increases
Restaurant Chains like MegaMGC Coffee and Theborn Korea Join in

Food price hikes are intensifying as an aftermath of the Middle East war.

CJ CheilJedang announced on the 16th that it will raise prices by an average of 8% on 27 products across 8 categories, including Hetbahn, dumplings, and grilled fish. The price increase rates by product are 12% for Hetbahn, 4.6% for dumplings, and 8.4% for grilled fish, with a minimum of 4.0% and up to 12%. The revised prices will be applied at major supermarkets starting July 30, and at convenience stores from August 1.

A representative from CJ CheilJedang said, "We have tried to absorb the factors driving a price hike for as long as possible, but continued increases in major raw and subsidiary material costs have put pressure on costs, so we had to adjust the prices of some products," adding, "We have minimized the number of items and the rate of increase, taking into account the burden on consumers."

The food and beverage industry has been rolling out price hikes since the June 3 local elections. Starting today, Ottogi raised the ex-factory price of 29 products, including curry, glass noodles, ketchup, and pepper. The average rate of increase is 17.0% for pepper, 10.0% for glass noodles, and 6.1% for both curry and ketchup. Lotte Chilsung Beverage raised the ex-factory prices of 44 products across 12 brands, including Chilsung Cider, by an average of 5.3% beginning June 26.

Harim also increased the prices of processed chilled foods such as hot bars and chicken breast, sold at convenience stores and other channels, by 100 to 300 won starting on July 1. On July 2, Sajo raised the prices of fish cakes and imitation crab products by 6–7%, and is currently discussing with distribution channels plans to increase prices of tuna cans, canned seafood, sauces, and edible oils by up to 20%.

Dining-out franchises have also raised food prices. Since June 19, Mega MGC Coffee has increased prices by 200 won each for three products in its Hal Mega Coffee lineup. Previously, in May, Ediya Coffee also raised in-store stick coffee and coffee mix product prices by 4.3–15.2%.

Since June 9, Theborn Korea has raised prices by about 11% on some menu items, side toppings, and beverages at 11 restaurant brands, including Yeokjeon Udon, Mijeong Noodles, Rolling Pasta, and Saemaeul Sikdang.

Even before the elections, at the end of May and early June, The Venti, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and Lotteria also raised their prices.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.