"Without Chinese Kimchi, Korean Restaurants Wouldn't Run"... The Humiliation of Kimchi's Homeland, Beaten by Low Prices [China Shock, K-Industry on the Brink | Food] 2

Kimchi trade deficit hits record high
Imports of Chinese-made kimchi total $160.79 million from January to September
Use expands, particularly at restaurants, amid cost pressures

Imports of Chinese kimchi are expected to exceed $200 million (approximately KRW 264.7 billion) for the first time this year, reaching a record high. As high prices persist, restaurants and processed-food companies are increasingly using Chinese kimchi, driving import volumes to new records.

A freestanding sign in front of a restaurant in Seoul. File photo unrelated to the article. Photo by Kang Jinhyung, aymsdream@

According to the Korea Trade Statistics Promotion Institute and KATI, imports of Chinese kimchi totaled 250,739 tons, worth $160.79 million, from January to September this year. Compared with the same period last year, the volume rose 0.7% and the value increased 12%. At the current pace, imports are expected to exceed $200 million for the full year. Imports of Chinese kimchi rose from 240,605 tons in 2021 to 336,221 tons last year, an increase of nearly 40% in five years. The value of imports also rose 41% over the same period. Most imported kimchi comes from China.

Chinese kimchi is supplied and handled in large quantities in South Korea, including through restaurants. According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute's "2025 Kimchi Industry Survey Analysis Report," a 2024 survey of 1,019 restaurants found that 44.1% of establishments serving napa cabbage kimchi as a side dish used imported kimchi. Restaurants that made kimchi themselves accounted for 30.3%, while 20.0% used domestically produced kimchi. Among restaurants that said they used imported napa cabbage kimchi for cooking menu items, the share was 53.8%, higher than for kimchi served as a side dish.

Researchers conduct safety tests on Chinese-made kimchi at the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on Aug. 31, 2026. Photo by Yoon Dongju

Restaurants use cheaper Chinese kimchi to reduce costs. The survey found that imported napa cabbage kimchi purchased by restaurants was, on average, 35.3% cheaper than its domestically produced counterpart. A recent look at kimchi prices listed on an online food-supply platform found Chinese kimchi selling for KRW 13,000 to KRW 15,000 per 10 kilograms, while domestically produced kimchi was priced at KRW 25,000 to KRW 30,000. As prices for key agricultural products, including napa cabbage, rise and domestic kimchi becomes more expensive, more restaurants appear to be switching to competitively priced Chinese kimchi.

The rapid increase in imports of Chinese kimchi is widening South Korea's kimchi trade deficit. Although kimchi exports have also grown in recent years, they have not kept pace with imports. Last year, the kimchi trade deficit reached a record $33.98 million. From January to September this year, it stood at $33.67 million, nearly matching the full-year total for last year.

As Chinese kimchi becomes more widespread in South Korea, concerns about food safety are growing. In August, suspicions intensified that formaldehyde, a Group 1 carcinogen, had been detected in Chinese cabbage. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and local governments across South Korea subsequently began related safety inspections at businesses handling Chinese cabbage and kimchi from China. Although the substance was not actually detected, concerns appear to be mounting, as China has had the highest number of import food products rejected for non-compliance over the past five years. In 2021, a video showing a shirtless man handling cabbage in a saltwater tank to make Chinese kimchi went viral, sparking hygiene concerns. The video became known as the "bare-handed kimchi" video.

The government says it will continue monitoring relevant information and step up inspections. It also plans to encourage the use of domestically produced kimchi by strengthening inspections of country-of-origin labeling. To this end, starting October 22, it increased the responsibility of delivery platforms for managing origin labels, requiring them to specify the origins of both the cabbage and red pepper powder used in kimchi. The government is also supporting efforts to reduce production costs for domestic kimchi.

"Most consumers take it for granted that kimchi will be served as a side dish, and restaurants can't raise food prices just because of kimchi, so they have no choice but to minimize the cost burden," a restaurant industry official said. "Given the price competitiveness of Chinese kimchi and the extent of restaurants' reliance on it, replacing it with domestically produced kimchi in the short term will realistically be difficult."

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