Chuseok table costs hit 300,000 won, with traditional markets cheaper than hypermarkets

The cost of preparing a chuseok ancestral rite table this year has reached around 300,000 won ($223), with traditional markets coming in about 50,000 won cheaper than hypermarkets, according to a new survey.

The Korea Price Research Association, a price-monitoring agency, said Wednesday that the cost of a chuseok rite table for a family of four at traditional markets came to 303,750 won — up 4.1 percent from last year. The figure is based on a survey of 28 rite-table items conducted Thursday and Friday at traditional markets across six cities: Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon.

Among individual items, pears rose the most sharply, with five costing 27,300 won — a 16 percent increase from last year. The association attributed the rise to an earlier-than-usual chuseok this year, which moved up the harvest schedule. The share of large-grade fruit typically used for rite tables also shrank.

Among vegetables, zucchini posted the steepest rise, surging 92.8 percent to 2,410 won. Heavy rains late last month reduced sunlight and hurt crop yields. Radishes were also up 24 percent from last year to 2,530 won, reflecting the impact of summer weather conditions.

Eggs rose 8.9 percent to 2,820 won per 10. Beef brisket climbed 10.5 percent to 33,050 won per 600 grams, while round and rump cuts rose 11.9 percent to 29,760 won. Chicken jumped 13.1 percent to 7,230 won per kilogram.

The traditional market total of 303,750 won was 57,550 won cheaper than hypermarkets at 361,300 won, and 59,220 won cheaper than online retailers at 362,970 won. Fresh produce — including fruit, meat and vegetables — was cheapest at traditional markets, while some processed goods such as flour and tofu were less expensive at hypermarkets.

"Most of the price gap between retail channels came from fresh produce," said Im Sang-min, a team leader at the Korea Price Research Association. "One option is to buy fresh items at traditional markets and pick up processed foods at hypermarkets or online."