S. Korea banks on massive cabbage warehouses to tackle kimchi crisis

South Korea’s kimchi makers are in serious pain.

A climate change-induced shortage of cabbages sent prices rocketing this year, exacerbating damage inflicted by cheaper offerings from Chinese competitors.

Such is the sense of crisis surrounding the spicy pickled side dish eaten daily by many Koreans and central to the national identity that the government recently laid out plans to build two massive cabbage storage facilities.

At 9,900 sq m each, the facilities to be built in the rural counties of Goesan and Haenam will together be equivalent to four football fields in size. They will be able to store 10,000 tonnes of cabbages and pickle 50 tonnes daily.

Construction, expected to cost taxpayers 58 billion won (S$57.8 million), is due to be completed in 2025. For kimchi makers struggling to buy sufficient cabbages at current high prices, government help to store the produce and supply the industry at affordable rates cannot come soon enough.