Once a cheap meal, gimbap sees steepest price hike in Seoul

Gimbap, long considered an affordable meal in Korea, has seen the steepest price increase among popular dining options in Seoul this year, with the average price of a roll approaching 4,000 won ($2.80), up more than 5 percent from the end of last year. According to data released Wednesday by the Korea Consumer Agency's price information portal, Champrice, the average price of a roll of gimbap in Seoul reached 3,923 won in September, up 5.4 percent from 3,723 won in December last year. This was the largest increase among eight popular dining options tracked in Seoul: naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles), bibimbap (rice mixed with vegetables), kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), jjajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce), samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), kalguksu (hand-cut noodles) and gimbap. At many gimbap chains, even a basic roll already costs more than 4,000 won. Prices vary by location, but a roll typically costs more than 5,000 won at well-known franchises like Gimgane and more than 4,000 won at Kobongmin and Teacher Kim. Bibimbap recorded the second-larg