"China is going to be dragged down by us!" In 2024, thousands of people in South Korea refused to eat Chinese cabbage imported from China. They wanted to give us a "duel", but they couldn't hold on.
In the late summer of 2024, the price code of cabbage on the streets of South Korea will go straight to the ceiling, and an ordinary Chinese cabbage will sell for tens of thousands of won. On social platforms, some people shouted to boycott China imports, claiming that this would protect their farmland. But when the supermarket shelves were empty and the kimchi jar reached the bottom, this enthusiasm was instantly discouraged. Imported China cabbage has become a life-saving straw. How will this farce end?
Starting from July 2024, high temperatures and droughts in the southern part of the peninsula have occurred one after another, and the cabbage fields in Jeju Island and Jeolla Province have suffered major crimes. The data from the Meteorological Bureau is displayed there. The average temperature is two degrees higher than in previous years. The soil is cracked and cracked like old tree bark. The roots of cabbage cannot absorb water, and its growth is extremely weak. In August, heavy rains made up again, and floods washed farmland and flooded large planting areas. According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, the national cabbage output has dropped by more than 30%. When the autumn harvest should have been bumper, it has become a big test of supply.
South Koreans cannot live without cabbage. This is not an empty saying. Kimchi is the soul of their table. From September to November every year, it is the peak season for home-made kimchi. When the shortage came, prices immediately rose. Data from the Seoul Wholesale Market shows that the wholesale price of cabbage in early September has exceeded 8000 won, not to mention the price tag in supermarkets easily exceeded 10,000 won. Ordinary people have to think twice about it for a long time when buying vegetables, and it is difficult to live with budget overruns. Catering shops and kimchi processing factories also suffered. The cost of raw materials doubled and the price of finished products rose. Consumers said they couldn't afford it.
In the social media, this time was bustling. Some voices began to advocate for the protection of local agriculture, calling for less to buy or even not to buy Chinese imported white meat. The platform post screen, the title of the party is full of air, someone put out "Chinese goods are too cheap, robbed our dishes" argument, there are people sending data, saying that South Korea imports tens of thousands of tons of white meat from China each year, total consumption of a small piece, but felt this matter should be controlled. In the hot talk, even out of the "China is to be dragged down by us" such phrases, accompanied by expressions and forwarding chains, in a few days browsing a million. Farmers also discussed, uploaded photos of their fields, complained about the
These voices are loud and realistic. South Korea's white food consumption is an average of a million tons per year, the domestic output is very tight, imports of Chinese goods are only a complementary gap. China's white food annual output is more than a million tons, exports worldwide, South Korea's share is poor. Customs data are clear, 2024 before nine months, China's exports to Korean white food are only tens of thousands of tons, the value is also more than a hundred million yuan. In contrast to South Korea, China's high-tech products are much more dependent, the bilateral trade volume is hundreds of billions, and complementarity is strong.
The government couldn't see it, so it took action in late September. The Ministry of Agriculture announced the emergency import of Chinese cabbage, starting with 16 tons, to ease the pressure of autumn peak. Tariffs are directly reduced to zero, encouraging private enterprises to follow suit. The first batch of goods arrived at Incheon Port, and after unloading, they went straight to the wholesale market, and the price chain was immediately loosened. In early October, the supply expanded to tens of thousands of tons, and the retail price dropped by more than 20%. On the supermarket shelves, Chinese cabbage and local goods are placed side by side, and consumers pick and buy them, making life easier. The kimchi factory restarted the production line, the family jars were full again, and the dining table returned to its former spicy taste.
This wave of operation exposes the truth of China-Korea agricultural trade. China as an agricultural great country, cultivated land wide, technologically stable, high-price production, can give the neighbors the bottom. South Korea has a lot of people, climate-sensitive, alone can not bear the extreme weather. Bilateral cooperation was a win-win path, in the early years signed a free trade agreement, agricultural products flow smoothly. In 2024, it was a joke, we all understand, closed-up self-guard no way out, open mutual trust is the hard reason. China exports not only sell whiteweed, but also take seed technology and cultivation experience, to help South Korea to enhance the local production capacity. In the long run, joint research and development of drought-resistant varieties, the co-
It's like two neighbors living a life. One family has a big vegetable garden and a lot of harvests, so share some of it with the next door; in the small courtyard next door, we have to borrow food in case of droughts and floods. I shouted not to borrow, but in the end, my pot was empty and I had to bow my head and ask for help. In terms of trade, we are essentially stable and everyone benefits. China is willing to be a reliable partner in promoting agricultural exchanges under the "Belt and Road" framework. South Korea has also adjusted its policies to increase import quotas and balance the market. The common people are the most affordable. The price of vegetables has stabilized, the table has become rich, and the life is comfortable.
Looking back at the heated debate during that period, the "Thousands of people refused" in the title was actually an amplification of emotions on the Internet. In real data, the boycott failed to materialize. In later reports, South Korean media mostly reflected on the fragility of the supply chain and called for diversification of import sources. In China, exporters are not idle, optimizing packaging and logistics to ensure that goods arrive in Hong Kong in a fresh manner. Bilateral communication channels are smooth, and hotlines between agricultural departments are always open to prevent small matters from becoming big waves. This reflects the general pattern of China-South Korea relations, with deep economic integration, close people-to-people exchanges, and easy negotiation in case of problems.
Now in the spring of 2025, the Korean cabbage market has stabilized. The lesson learned last year was that the government pushed greenhouse planting subsidies and the output rebounded. China's exports continue, and the variety is richer, ranging from Chinese cabbage to small green vegetables. The trade volume between the two countries is rising steadily, agriculture is only the tip of the iceberg, and cooperation in high-speed rail and semiconductors is even hotter.
In the late summer of 2024, the price code of cabbage on the streets of South Korea will go straight to the ceiling, and an ordinary Chinese cabbage will sell for tens of thousands of won. On social platforms, some people shouted to boycott China imports, claiming that this would protect their farmland. But when the supermarket shelves were empty and the kimchi jar reached the bottom, this enthusiasm was instantly discouraged. Imported China cabbage has become a life-saving straw. How will this farce end?
Starting from July 2024, high temperatures and droughts in the southern part of the peninsula have occurred one after another, and the cabbage fields in Jeju Island and Jeolla Province have suffered major crimes. The data from the Meteorological Bureau is displayed there. The average temperature is two degrees higher than in previous years. The soil is cracked and cracked like old tree bark. The roots of cabbage cannot absorb water, and its growth is extremely weak. In August, heavy rains made up again, and floods washed farmland and flooded large planting areas. According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, the national cabbage output has dropped by more than 30%. When the autumn harvest should have been bumper, it has become a big test of supply.
South Koreans cannot live without cabbage. This is not an empty saying. Kimchi is the soul of their table. From September to November every year, it is the peak season for home-made kimchi. When the shortage came, prices immediately rose. Data from the Seoul Wholesale Market shows that the wholesale price of cabbage in early September has exceeded 8000 won, not to mention the price tag in supermarkets easily exceeded 10,000 won. Ordinary people have to think twice about it for a long time when buying vegetables, and it is difficult to live with budget overruns. Catering shops and kimchi processing factories also suffered. The cost of raw materials doubled and the price of finished products rose. Consumers said they couldn't afford it.
In the social media, this time was bustling. Some voices began to advocate for the protection of local agriculture, calling for less to buy or even not to buy Chinese imported white meat. The platform post screen, the title of the party is full of air, someone put out "Chinese goods are too cheap, robbed our dishes" argument, there are people sending data, saying that South Korea imports tens of thousands of tons of white meat from China each year, total consumption of a small piece, but felt this matter should be controlled. In the hot talk, even out of the "China is to be dragged down by us" such phrases, accompanied by expressions and forwarding chains, in a few days browsing a million. Farmers also discussed, uploaded photos of their fields, complained about the
These voices are loud and realistic. South Korea's white food consumption is an average of a million tons per year, the domestic output is very tight, imports of Chinese goods are only a complementary gap. China's white food annual output is more than a million tons, exports worldwide, South Korea's share is poor. Customs data are clear, 2024 before nine months, China's exports to Korean white food are only tens of thousands of tons, the value is also more than a hundred million yuan. In contrast to South Korea, China's high-tech products are much more dependent, the bilateral trade volume is hundreds of billions, and complementarity is strong.
The government couldn't see it, so it took action in late September. The Ministry of Agriculture announced the emergency import of Chinese cabbage, starting with 16 tons, to ease the pressure of autumn peak. Tariffs are directly reduced to zero, encouraging private enterprises to follow suit. The first batch of goods arrived at Incheon Port, and after unloading, they went straight to the wholesale market, and the price chain was immediately loosened. In early October, the supply expanded to tens of thousands of tons, and the retail price dropped by more than 20%. On the supermarket shelves, Chinese cabbage and local goods are placed side by side, and consumers pick and buy them, making life easier. The kimchi factory restarted the production line, the family jars were full again, and the dining table returned to its former spicy taste.
This wave of operation exposes the truth of China-Korea agricultural trade. China as an agricultural great country, cultivated land wide, technologically stable, high-price production, can give the neighbors the bottom. South Korea has a lot of people, climate-sensitive, alone can not bear the extreme weather. Bilateral cooperation was a win-win path, in the early years signed a free trade agreement, agricultural products flow smoothly. In 2024, it was a joke, we all understand, closed-up self-guard no way out, open mutual trust is the hard reason. China exports not only sell whiteweed, but also take seed technology and cultivation experience, to help South Korea to enhance the local production capacity. In the long run, joint research and development of drought-resistant varieties, the co-
It's like two neighbors living a life. One family has a big vegetable garden and a lot of harvests, so share some of it with the next door; in the small courtyard next door, we have to borrow food in case of droughts and floods. I shouted not to borrow, but in the end, my pot was empty and I had to bow my head and ask for help. In terms of trade, we are essentially stable and everyone benefits. China is willing to be a reliable partner in promoting agricultural exchanges under the "Belt and Road" framework. South Korea has also adjusted its policies to increase import quotas and balance the market. The common people are the most affordable. The price of vegetables has stabilized, the table has become rich, and the life is comfortable.
Looking back at the heated debate during that period, the "Thousands of people refused" in the title was actually an amplification of emotions on the Internet. In real data, the boycott failed to materialize. In later reports, South Korean media mostly reflected on the fragility of the supply chain and called for diversification of import sources. In China, exporters are not idle, optimizing packaging and logistics to ensure that goods arrive in Hong Kong in a fresh manner. Bilateral communication channels are smooth, and hotlines between agricultural departments are always open to prevent small matters from becoming big waves. This reflects the general pattern of China-South Korea relations, with deep economic integration, close people-to-people exchanges, and easy negotiation in case of problems.
Now in the spring of 2025, the Korean cabbage market has stabilized. The lesson learned last year was that the government pushed greenhouse planting subsidies and the output rebounded. China's exports continue, and the variety is richer, ranging from Chinese cabbage to small green vegetables. The trade volume between the two countries is rising steadily, agriculture is only the tip of the iceberg, and cooperation in high-speed rail and semiconductors is even hotter.