As kimchi crisis mounts, South Korea to build mega cabbage warehouses amid shortage, flood of Chinese imports
- At 9,900 square metres each, the US$40 million facilities in Goesan and Haenam will be able to store 10,000 tonnes of cabbages
- Rising prices of cabbages, weak harvests over recent years and cheap Chinese imports have crushed South Korea’s kimchi makers
Such is the sense of crisis surrounding the spicy pickled side dish eaten daily by many Koreans and central to Korean identity, that the government recently laid out plans to construct two massive cabbage storage facilities.
At 9,900 square metres each, the facilities to be built in the rural counties of Goesan and Haenam will, combined, be equivalent to three football fields in size. They will be able to store 10,000 tonnes of cabbages and pickle 50 tonnes of cabbages daily.
Construction, expected to cost taxpayers 58 billion won (US$40 million), is due to be completed in 2025.
For local kimchi makers struggling to purchase sufficient cabbages at current high prices, government intervention to store the produce and supply the industry at affordable rates can’t come soon enough.