Why Is Fruit So Expensive in South Korea?
One of the more surprising things about grocery shopping in South Korea is how much fruit can cost. You can sit down for a decent meal at a neighborhood restaurant without spending a fortune, then walk into a supermarket and find yourself staring at the price of a few apples.
And we're not even talking about the fancy ones.
Fruit in Korea can be expensive for several reasons, starting with the fact that growing it isn't particularly cheap. Compared with major fruit-producing countries, Korea has relatively limited farmland, and many orchards operate on a smaller scale. Labor, production, and distribution costs all add up before the fruit ever reaches a supermarket shelf.
The weather doesn't always help, either. In 2024, apples became such a talking point that Koreans started calling them geum-sagwa (금사과), or “golden apples.” Not because they were some rare, beautiful variety, but because buying ordinary apples was beginning to feel like a luxury.
A difficult 2023 growing season had reduced the apple harvest by roughly 30%. By March 2024, ten apples cost around ₩30,000 (approximately US$21) on average, and some supermarkets reportedly charged as much as ₩8,000 (about US$5.70) for a single large apple.
For reference, an iced Americano at Mega Coffee, one of Korea's popular budget coffee chains, costs just ₩2,000 (about US$1.40). That's 15 cups of coffee for the price of ten apples. Suddenly, the nickname “golden apples” didn't seem particularly exaggerated.
You might think importing more fruit would solve the problem. Korea already imports bananas, oranges, and mangoes, but fresh apples face strict plant-health import restrictions. So when the domestic harvest is poor, it's not as simple as filling supermarket shelves with cheaper apples from another country.
Of course, the price of everyday fruit is only one part of the story. Spend some time in a Korean department store before Chuseok or Seollal, and you'll see fruit being sold in an entirely different way.
There are enormous Korean pears nestled into protective sleeves, apples arranged in perfect rows, and gift boxes that look as though they should contain something considerably more glamorous than produce. Some are so beautifully packaged that opening them almost feels like ruining the presentation.
Fruit gift sets are a familiar sight around Korean holidays. They're popular gifts for parents, relatives, and people you want to thank. A box of high-quality pears or apples feels generous, practical, and appropriate for just about anyone. It can also be shared with the whole family, which makes it a particularly convenient gift when you're visiting someone's home.
And yes, people really do pay extra for fruit that looks beautiful. Size, shape, sweetness, and where it was grown can all affect the price. A slightly imperfect apple might taste perfectly good, but it probably won't be making an appearance in a premium holiday gift box.
Thankfully, not every piece of fruit in Korea requires a special occasion. Buying what's in season can make a noticeable difference, and neighborhood fruit shops or traditional markets sometimes have better prices than larger supermarkets. Winter tangerines, for example, are a familiar sight in Korean homes, often disappearing by the handful while everyone sits around watching television.
Still, I find the contrast between everyday fruit and gift-worthy fruit particularly interesting. In one aisle, you're trying to decide whether apples are worth adding to your grocery basket. A few aisles over, someone is happily spending considerably more on a beautifully arranged box of the same fruit.
If you ever receive one of those impressive Korean pear gift sets, you'll know someone put some thought into it.
And probably spent a little more than you think.
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