Kimchi stew tops 9,000 won, bibimbap crosses 10,000 won — but restaurants are disappearing

"There's no meat in the kimchi stew. It really is just kimchi. And the stir-fried squid is mostly onions."

A worker in his 30s employed in Seoul has started turning to convenience stores to eat, saying the value no longer matches what he pays. His frustration is backed by data. The price of a kimchi stew set meal — one of the most affordable staples of Korean dining out — has crossed 9,000 won. Naengmyeon and bibimbap now cost more than 10,000 won ($7). Even a single roll of kimbap is closing in on 4,000 won.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency's price information portal, the national average price of a kimchi stew set meal stood at 9,080 won last month, up 5.1% from 8,639 won in the same month last year.

Daejeon was the most expensive city, with an average of 10,600 won. In Seoul, the price reached 8,769 won, up 2.2% from 8,577 won a year earlier — continuing a steady climb that began after prices surpassed the 8,500-won mark in February last year.

Some dishes have already broken the 10,000-won barrier. Naengmyeon averaged 10,845 won last month, up 3.4%, while bibimbap came in at 10,314 won, up 2.3%.

Kimbap is also approaching the 4,000-won range. In Seoul, a roll averaged 3,869 won, followed by Gwangju at 3,760 won and Gyeonggi Province at 3,759 won. The national average was 3,581 won, up 5.8% from 3,382 won in the same month last year.

Meat dishes have also risen. Samgyetang averaged 16,868 won, up 2.4%, while 200 grams of samgyeopsal cost 17,877 won, up 2.5%.

While consumers feel the pinch of rising dining costs, the business environment for hansik restaurants is moving in the opposite direction. According to the National Tax Service's national tax statistics portal, the number of hansik restaurant operators nationwide stood at 403,299 in July, down 1.46% from 409,300 in July last year. The figure covers a broad range of establishments — from general Korean restaurants and noodle shops to grills and seafood eateries, as well as neighborhood diners specializing in set meals, stews and soups.

Ingredient costs are the single biggest burden on hansik restaurant operators. According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute's 2025 survey report on the management conditions of food service businesses, the average ingredient cost for hansik establishments was 11,990 won per meal, higher than the overall restaurant average of 10,377 won. Among 18 food service categories, hansik ranked fifth highest — behind institutional cafeterias, catering and mobile food services, Japanese restaurants, and pizza, burger and sandwich shops.

Hansik menus are particularly vulnerable to ingredient price swings because dishes such as kimchi stew, set meals, and soup-and-stew combinations require a wide variety of ingredients. Yet owners cannot easily pass those costs on to customers — raising prices risks driving diners away.

The aging of restaurant owners has also been a factor. The average age of hansik restaurant operators is 56.7, higher than the overall food service average of 53.7.

"Rising raw material prices are feeding through to consumer prices," said Lee Hong-ju, a professor of consumer economics at Sookmyung Women's University. "For restaurant owners, the burden will only grow heavier going forward."