Edible brassicas market in South Korea

Earlier Report Observations

The market for fresh edible brassicas in South Korea experienced significant fluctuations between 2018 and 2023, with the volume falling sharply to 2.2 million tons in 2019 before recovering to 2.6 million tons in 2020. This initial volatility was partly shaped by weather-related production concerns and government interventions, such as expanded contract farming and pilot import safety insurance, which helped support supply despite forecasts of reduced summer cabbage area.

Market volume dipped again in 2021 but grew in 2022 to 2.5 million tons, aided by increased domestic production and a gradual expansion of market access that boosted cabbage and kimchi imports. The subsequent decline in 2023 coincided with a broader shift in fresh food purchasing patterns, where consumers began buying less frequently but in larger amounts, alongside a growing preference for convenience foods.

By 2024, extreme weather events like heatwaves and droughts severely impacted cabbage yields, prompting the government to implement its largest-ever stockpiling measure of 23,000 tons and resume tariff-free imports of Chinese cabbage to stabilize supply. This period also saw significant policy moves, including advanced monitoring of supply and demand, support for online wholesale markets, and efforts to modernize the agricultural distribution structure to manage growing price volatility.

Production edible brassicas in South Korea

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

South Korea was one of the world's top producers of edible brassicas from 2017 to 2020, ranking fourth globally by production volume during this period.

Top producers of edible brassicas, 2017-2020

World map of production of edible brassicas, 2017-2020

In 2020, South Korea produced 2 556 thousand tons of edible brassicas, marking a 16.8% increase from the previous year. Over the 2017-2020 period, production overall decreased by 6.3%, with a compound annual growth rate of 2.1%. The lowest production was recorded in 2019 at 2 188 thousand tons, while the highest was in 2018 at 2 764 thousand tons. The most significant decline occurred in 2019, with a drop of 20.8%.

Annual dynamics of production in South Korea in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Exports edible brassicas from South Korea

Exports in kind, t

In 2020, South Korea exported 30 456 tons of edible brassicas, representing a sharp decline of 35.0% compared to the previous year. From 2017 to 2020, exports decreased by 11.3%, with a compound annual growth rate of 3.9%. The peak export volume was in 2019 at 46 885 tons, which also saw the largest increase of 42.7% during the period.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from South Korea in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Asia, not elsewhere specified, was the primary destination for South Korea's edible brassicas exports, accounting for 86.5% of total export volume, while a diverse group of other countries made up the remaining share.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from South Korea in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

After two years of growth, South Korea's cross-border shipments of edible brassicas declined in 2020, with exports reaching 19 957 thousand US dollars, a significant drop of 24.9% from 2019. Between 2017 and 2020, exports overall increased by 20.1%, translating to an annualized growth rate of 6.3%. The highest export value was recorded in 2019 at 26 574 thousand US dollars, and the largest increase occurred in 2018 with a rise of 29.6%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from South Korea in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

During 2017-2020, Asia, not elsewhere specified, remained the dominant partner for South Korea's edible brassicas exports in value terms, holding an 81.2% share of total flows, while other markets contributed to a long tail of smaller shares.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from South Korea in value, 2017-2020

Imports edible brassicas to South Korea

Imports in kind, t

Foreign supplies of edible brassicas to South Korea increased for the third consecutive year in 2020, with imports totaling 48 083 tons, a substantial uptick of 96.5% compared to 2019. Over the 2017-2020 period, imports grew by 109.6%, with a compound annual growth rate of 28.0%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to South Korea in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, imports of edible brassicas to South Korea were heavily concentrated in China, which accounted for 95.1% of the total import volume.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to South Korea in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

In 2020, South Korea's edible brassicas imports reached 23 873 thousand US dollars, showing a steep rise of 42.6% from the previous year. Between 2017 and 2020, imports increased by 55%, equating to an annualized growth rate of 15.7%. The largest decline was recorded in 2019, with a decrease of 3.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to South Korea in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Throughout 2017-2020, China dominated the country structure of South Korea's edible brassicas imports in value terms, with a share of 90.7% of total import flows.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to South Korea in value, 2017-2020