Busan, Korea sees steepest jump in dining prices as gimbap and jajangmyeon surge

Gimbap is made fresh-to-order (Photo courtesy of haps Magazine Korea)

Busan’s eating-out costs have risen faster than Seoul’s this past year, with several everyday dishes showing double-digit increases.

According to data from the Korea Consumer Agency’s “Price Watch,” the average price of eight popular menu items in Busan climbed 4.21% since last December, outpacing Seoul’s 3.44% rise.

Gimbap saw the sharpest jump, soaring 13.5% from 2,971 won to 3,371 won. Jajangmyeon followed closely, rising 11.5% to 6,929 won.

Other Busan staples also crept upward: samgyeopsal increased 5.1%, kimchi stew set 3.64%, and bibimbap 3.63%. Even naengmyeon, kalguksu, and samgyetang saw smaller but steady gains.

Nationally, rising labor costs, higher rents, increased electricity and gas rates, and a weaker currency, pushing up the price of imported ingredients, have all contributed to the surge.

Dishes requiring more manual preparation, such as kalguksu and samgyetang, are particularly affected.

Korean