Prices for dining out at Korean restaurants around the country have risen by the most in the past 22 months according to new statistics.

According to the April Consumer Price Trend by the National Statistical Office, the Food Service Price rose 1.9% over a year ago, the highest monthly increase since June 2019.

Of the 39 food items that are monitored each month, 23 saw price rises from the previous month.

Juk, or Korean porridge, saw the highest rise at 7.6% from a year ago, while other popular meals such as kimbap, jjajjangmyeon, kimchi stew, soybean paste stew, seollongtang, jjampong, ramyeon, dwaejji kalbi, naengmyeon, kalguksu, tteokbokki, chicken, and samgyeopsal all rose between 1.5% and 3.5%.

The price rises are attributed to the rise in the price of vegetables and agricultural and marine products as well as a rise in operational costs including rent and delivery fees.