"Long waits are a given, and it's so popular it's hard to get" ... Yellowtail prices surge 161% in a year as people in their 20s and 30s flock to it

Live Yellowtail from Goseong Up 161% in a Year... 20,900 Won per Kilogram
Regional Lists of “Popular Yellowtail Restaurants” Shared on Social Media
Young Diners Flock to Yellowtail, Making Reservations at Famous Restaurants Hard to Get

Yellowtail is emerging as a “must-eat seasonal food” among younger people, and prices are rising sharply. On social media, posts featuring popular yellowtail restaurants in areas such as Seoul and Busan are gaining traction, and reservations at well-known restaurants are becoming difficult to secure.

Posts listing the best places across the country to enjoy yellowtail are flooding social media. Screenshot from Instagram.

According to auction prices at Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market on November 9, live yellowtail from Goseong averaged 20,900 won per kilogram on November 5, up 161.3% from 8,000 won on the same date last year. Over the same period, the price of live yellowtail from the East Sea rose 91.6%, from 13,100 won to 25,100 won per kilogram, nearly doubling.

Some expect prices to climb even more steeply as the yellowtail season gets underway in earnest. “In December and January, the peak season for yellowtail, prices could rise to as much as three times their level a year earlier,” a fisheries industry official said.

With yellowtail season approaching, posts introducing popular yellowtail restaurants across the country are appearing one after another on social media. Instagram users are sharing lists of restaurants by area, including “Seoul Yellowtail Restaurant Roundup” and “Busan Yellowtail Restaurant Roundup.” Posts tagged “yellowtail” number about 355,000, while those tagged “yellowtail sashimi” total about 282,000.

Some restaurants are already seeing queues form before opening. At a restaurant in Seoul’s Mapo District known for its yellowtail, wait times reach two to three hours. Some customers line up one to two hours before opening time. Competition to try yellowtail is already heating up ahead of the peak season.

Analysts say the fish’s rich flavor and the varying textures of different cuts have won over people in their 20s and 30s. Yellowtail is known for its rich, tender taste due to its high fat content. The flavor and texture differ from cut to cut, including the belly and back, making it enjoyable to sample several different cuts. “It suits the tastes of young consumers who value new culinary experiences,” a food industry official said.

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