People need money and not gift sets.

Rising cost of living and sluggish business.Sept 15, 2022.

By Foong Pek Yee

Many South Koreans are selling the Chuseok gift sets they received in order to have more cash in hand to battle the rising cost of living.
The popular gift sets include canned ham, seasoned tuna and red ginseng.
As the four- day Chuseok or Mid Autumn Festival celebration drew to an end on Monday, secondhand e-commerce platforms are  flooded with popular Chuseok gift sets for sale at a fraction of the original price,  according to Arirang News on Sept 12.
South Korea’s secondhand e-commerce platform Joongonara says canned ham  made up 30% of the goods put up for sale this festive season.
The e-commerce platform says gift sets which can be bought for half of the original price are selling well.
Meanwhile, another secondhand e-commerce platform held a promotion for resale of gift sets at a reasonable price.
Reselling Chuseok gift sets on secondhand e-commerce platforms reflected the people’s pressing need for more cash to beat soaring prices.
And there is little if no sign of  the inflation coming down anytime soon.

 

Big demand for no-frills Korean ramyeon.

Ramyeon with banchan or side dishes served in restaurants can be two to three times more expensive than no-frills ramyeon. Sept 11,2022
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
You can get a bowl of no-frills hot ramyeon or instant noodles for about 3,000 won (RM9.85) in 24 hour- self service- ramyeon shops within three minutes in Seoul.
The no -frills ramyeon which comes without side dishes is an option for  people opting for a cheap and fast meal outside their homes these days.
These specialty ramyeon shops use vending machines and come with a wide range of brands and flavours.
The seating also caters to solo diners.
But patrons may need to pay more for their no-frills ramyeon soon.
Major ramyeon  manufacturers have announced an increase in price from this month, according to reports by The Korean Herald recently.
South Korea’s Nongshim will increase the price of its instant noodles by an average of 11.3% effective Sept 15.
And Paldo’s  average increase of  9.8% will start from Oct 1.
Justifying the price hike,  Nongshim cited soaring global wheat prices while Paldo attributed it to the increase in price of raw materials and logistic costs.
Quoting  industry sources, The Korean Herald says  Ottogi and Samyang will also increase their price after Sept 12.
Soaring inflation in recent months saw many South Koreans opting for  cheap meal options like ramyeon at convenience stores as dining in restaurants became increasingly expensive.

 

Death in the basement

South Korea saw at least 11 deaths in  the basement over the last 30 days. September 8, 2022.

By Foong Pek Yee
Seven people  including a teenager died in a basement carpark submerged in flood water when Typhoon Hinnamnor hit South Korea,  bringing along heavy rain on Tuesday (Sept 6,  2022)
According to The Korean Herald,  the teenager had accompanied his mother to the carpark.
His mother, in her early 50s, is one of the  two people who survived  when they were rescued from the flooded carpark.
The tragedy took place in an apartment block in Pohang, about 270km south-east of Seoul when  Typhoon Hinnamnor hit  South Korea, reports The Korean Herald on September 7.
It says rescuers pulled out nine people from the flooded carpark – two alive while seven others who were rescued in a state of cardiac arrest were pronounced dead later.
According to The Korean Herald the nine had gone to the basement carpark to move their cars amid heavy downpour brought on by the super typhoon.
As of  Sept 7, the Central Disaster Safety Relief Headquarters says Typhoon Hinnamnor saw 11 dead, one missing and three injured.
Meanwhile, the big flood in  Seoul on August 8  saw four people,  including a family of three in Sillim-dong, perished  in their  semi-basement  home or banjiha in Korean.
Another person was also found dead in a flooded banjiha in the neighbourhood on the same day.
About 95% of South Korea’s 379,605 basement or semi-basement homes can be found in Seoul, reports The Korean Herald quoting Statistics.
In the wake of the  tragedies, Seoul announced that it would phase out all forms of underground residences – home to about five percent of all families in the city-  in the next two decades.

 

Run-up to Mid- Autumn festival in South Korea

 Food prices have gone up by an average of 28% ,
 and a super typhoon on the way.
Sept 3, 2022
By Foong Pek Yee
Ahead of Chuseok coming Saturday, South Koreans are set for a simple celebration.
Soaring food prices saw Chuseok or Mid -Autumn festival sales all time low since the Asian financial crisis 25 years ago.
 The  four-day holiday to thank ancestors for a bountiful harvest is the second biggest festival after Seollah (South Korean lunar new year).
By tradition, many South Koreans from Seoul with a population of about 10 million, will return to their hometown to celebrate Chuseok with their elders.
 But Typhoon Hinnamnor, along with strong winds and heavy rain,  and  is expected to hit the country in the next two days, is a cause for concern.
The Korean Herald reported yesterday that the typhoon  is set to hit the southern part of the country including Jeju Island.
Quoting the state weather agency, it said the typhoon’s trajectory however will only become clearer by tomorrow.
Update Sept 4 evening: Arirang News reported that Typhoon Hinnamnor is due to arrive in South Korea by Tuesday morning (Sept 6), quoting the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
 
It also reported on the cancellation of  Monday flights in and out of Busan and  Jeju Island.
Jeju Island, and the Jeolla and Gyeongsang Provinces are put on high alert.
The oncoming typhoon also saw public hiking trails in South Korea closed to the general public  until further notice.
Arirang News reported yesterday that people are spending less for  Chuseok this year, with prices of major food items like vegetables up by almost 28% from a year earlier.
And the price for napa cabbage used to make kimchi has shot up by about 80%.
Sales for must have food items for Chuseok memorial tables also took a plunge.
Arirang News quoted a trader saying the price for dried fish for the memorial tables has went up by 500 won, and traditional sweets that used to cost 5,000 won are now 6,000 won.
Ahead of Chuseok and to ease the burden on the people, Arirang News said the government will release about 4,000 tons of goods in high demand, including cabbage and garlic from its  stockpile.
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South Koreans look foward to Chuseok

A typical traditional market in Seoul which offers one-stop- shopping for anything Korean.
By Foong Pek Yee
SURGING inflation saw the South Korean government releasing its reserves for 20 major food items into the market to ease the people’s hardship beginning next week.
Ahead of the Chuseok Festival  on Sept 10, the move, under a Livelihood Stability Package, also brings some relief to South Koreans who are hit by massive floods in Seoul this week.
According to Arirang News today, topping the list of the 20 items that saw a huge spike in prices this year are cabbage, radish, onion and apples.
On a year-on-year basis, the price of daikon or Korean radish shot up by 43% in July,  followed by cabbage (34%) and onions (25%) –  key ingredients for Korean cooking  and kimchi.
Potatoes and apples also saw a 34% and 17% price increase respectively in the same period .
The release of the government’s food reserves from Aug 18 to Sept 6 is expected to bring the price of the items down to that of last year, says Arirang News.
Seoul is home  to about 10  million South Koreans and, preparations for Chuseok has been dampened by the the floods which have  caused massive damages and untold misery to the affected.
As of Thursday,  news reports said 11 people have died in the floods while another eight still missing.
The rainfall on Monday, the start of the massive downpour for next two days, is reportedly the highest in Seoul in the last 115 years.
Chuseok, celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Lunar Calendar (Sept 10 this year), is the second major festival after Seollah(Korean Lunar New Year)
Celebrated in mid autumn, the  annual Chuseok to thank ancestors for a bountiful harvest, sees South Koreans leaving Seoul in droves for their hometown to celebrate with the elderly.
Apart from releasing the food reserves, the government has also announced USD50mil discount coupons for people to shop at supermarkets and traditional markets.
And this is expected to give shoppers an average of between 20% and 30% savings, reports Arirang News.
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Surging inflation and changing lifestyle

Adapting to the new economic landscape to stay ahead.

By Foong Pek Yee

At 29,  and staying alone in a studio in Seoul,  Park  Na-Ra is into cooking her dinner these days.
The interior designer says the availability of smaller food packages  and lower pricing has made it convenient to cook simple dishes and, cost saving as well.
Park says she will plan her meals and buy the ingredients to avoid food wastage.
Like many young and working South Koreans, Park says she and her colleagues and friends have no choice but to  cut down on eating out because it can be expensive nowadays.
Eating out is a form of socialization and entertainment that is popular among South Koreans.
A simple meal:  But the  high cost of eating out saw many South Koreans opting for cheaper options like packed meals from convenience stores.
Amid surging inflation, retailers are also actively exploring ways to keep their businesses going.
And smaller packaging of food to keep prices low has turned out to be a viable option as people are increasingly more careful with their spending.
In June, the Korean Herald reported  that smaller packaging of meat, vegetables and fruits are well received by  South Koreans.
It reported that sales of vegetables went up by 25.1% and 17.3% in single person households and family households respectively in May.
It has been a norm for single people to eat out often before this.
According to Statistics Korea, there are  6.64 million single person households, comprising 31.7% of the total households  in South Korea in 2020.
Rising cost of living also saw many office workers going for packed meals in  convenience stores which is cheaper than eating in restaurants.
Hansot Dosirak  (a South Korean boxed lunch takeout chain ) reported its sales has gone up by 23% during lunch hours near Seoul’s office clusters in June against the same month last year.
The takeout chain also reported a 15% increase in sales across its locations nationwide, according to theinvestor in a report on  July 27.
The menu starts at 3,200 won (RM11).

South Koreans take lunch box to beat soaring inflation

Big demand for lunch box or packed meals during hard times.
By Foong Pek Yee
They call it lunchflation  in South Korea  – meaning
expensive lunch amid soaring inflation.
Office workers in particular head to convenience stores instead of restaurants for lunch these days.
 Convenience stores offer many types of ready-to-eat meals to meet customers’ preference, and budget.
The stores provide microwave ovens for them to heat up their packed meals on the spot.
Earlier this week, Arirang News reported a steep climb on monthly sales of lunch box in convenience stores in South Korea since January.
A simple meal:  But dine- in can be expensive for many South Koreans of late.
According to Arirang News, popular meals like kimbap (rice rolls) and jjajangmyeon (noodles in thick sauce) in restaurants saw a 9.1% price increase each in the first half of this year, on a year on year basis.
A roll of kimbap used to cost about 2,500 won (RM8.50) before and, customers usually order two rolls at least.
Said to be the cheapest item in restaurants , kimbap often comes with a bowl of soup and one or two types of banchan (side dish)  for each customer.
While almost all Korean restaurants provide plain water, some even include coffee free of charge and, the complimentary items are free flow.
A common one pot meal like kimchi chigae (kimchee stew) for one person and comes with about three types of banchan (side dish) used to cost about 8,000 won or RM27.
I was told  that the price has gone up to about 10,000 won (RM34) recently,
No longer affordable:  Many eat kimbap as a snack when spending is not a concern.
Airang News also highlighted that online sales for quick and easy food items went up by 50% to 70% in the second quarter compared to the first quarter this year alone.
And the current situation is not expected to change any time soon.

A lesson on Korean food

A variety of banchan makes a nutritious meal.

By Foong Pek Yee

foongpekyee@gmail.com

 THE plates of colourful banchan (Korean side dishes) used to fascinate me during meals.
In fact I was more excited over the selection than the main dish.
According to The Korean Food Foundation, the size of a traditional Korean meal is determined by the number of “cheop” – vessel used for side dishes.
There are 3- cheop, 5-cheop, 7-cheop, 9-cheop tables; and a 12-cheop table (Surasang) is for the kings!
It is common to have at least three types of banchan for any Korean meal .
I must say banchan no longer excites me over the years.
But dishes of left over banchan, some untouched,  left on dinner tables suddenly came to my mind of late.
It is not about food craving.
It is triggered by headlines on a looming food crisis worldwide.
An average (South) Korean throws away 130 kilograms of food a year, according to Korea’s Ministry of Environment.
While 95% of the food waste is recycled into products like compost and animal feed,  food waste is certainly never a good thing to begin with.
Once I commented that banchan is more than  enough for a meal,  and the remark did not go down well .
Koreans see lavish meals as something to celebrate.
And I was told that it is  polite not to finish all the food that is offered.

Korean peanut banchan

Banchan or Korean side dish is a must have for Korean meals.
Some Koreans say having several types of banchan at each meal is good for health, and that everybody also gets to have their favourite banchan.
Banchan is certainly appetizing besides adding  a variety of nutrients to enhance the main dish.
This peanut banchan for instance can be added to porridge.
It also makes a healthy  snack on its own.
Ingredients
Half cup of peanuts
Half cup of water
Quarter teaspoon salt.
Quarter teaspoon pepper.
Half teaspoon soy sauce (to taste)
Method
1. Put all the ingredients in a pot and bring it to a boil.
2. Simmer for about 35 minutes and ready to serve.
Note:  Put the remainder in the fridge, preferably finished it within three days – By Foong Pek Yee

Korean seaweed soup

Korean culture: The soup bowl must be placed on our right hand side.
Ingredients:
2 gm seaweed (wakame)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
6  pieces  dried  Shitake mushroom
2 cups water.
Seasoning:
Half teaspoon salt,  one teaspoon sesame oil, one teaspoon  roasted sesame seeds and two teaspoons  soy sauce.
Method:
1. Soak seaweed in water for 30 minutes, rinse and cut into bite size.
2. Wash mushrooms.
3. In a pot, put seaweed, mushrooms, garlic and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
4. Simmer for one hour.
5. Add seasoning and ready to serve.
Adventure:   Add a pinch of pepper and chilli powder (gojugaru) for a stronger taste.
Seaweed soup is highly nutritious. Korean mothers take it during confinement.
And Koreans have seaweed soup for their birthday- By Foong Pek Yee. 2 Jan, 2022