SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – South Korea is facing sharp increases in fresh food prices as extreme heat disrupts farms and reduces vegetable supplies. Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. data showed spinach reaching 1,978 won per 100 grams on Aug. 7. That price was 152.3% higher than a month earlier. Ten cucumbers cost 8,313 won, up 54.8%, while blue lettuce rose 41.7% and zucchini climbed 46.6% to 1,504 won.
Fresh vegetable costs are climbing as extreme heat affects South Korea’s food sector.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said prolonged high temperatures had reduced supplies of heat-sensitive crops. Spinach, cucumbers and zucchini are particularly vulnerable when temperatures remain elevated for extended periods. The weather has also broken national records this summer. Yangsan reached 42.5 degrees Celsius on Aug. 2, marking South Korea’s highest temperature since nationwide observations began in 1904.
Heat has also caused heavy losses across livestock farms. South Korea recorded 901,602 animal deaths through Aug. 7, with chickens and ducks accounting for about 95% of the total. The losses stood at roughly 55% of the level reported during the same period last year. Broiler chicken prices remained comparatively stable, with the retail price at 5,925 won per kilogram on Aug. 7, below 6,000 won for the first time since February.
Extreme temperatures hit farms and fish stocks
Aquaculture producers have also reported large losses as coastal waters warmed. Fish farms recorded 864,497 deaths through Aug. 7, adding pressure to parts of the domestic seafood market. Flounder averaged 22,300 won per kilogram at auction between July 27 and Aug. 1. The price increased 2.29% from the previous week and 13.2% from a year earlier, while high-temperature warnings covered 17 coastal areas.
The government has responded with supply and price-support measures across several food categories. Authorities increased broiler chicken imports and expanded retail discounts for fish. Farms also received support for shade equipment, misting systems and ventilation used during periods of extreme heat. Officials strengthened the agricultural disaster response system from Aug. 7 and introduced a special management period for heat and drought as weather damage spread across farming and aquaculture regions.
Fresh food surge follows softer July inflation
The latest food price increases arrived after South Korea reported slower consumer inflation in July. The national consumer price index stood at 119.77, with the 2020 level set at 100. Prices declined 0.2% from June and rose 2.8% from July 2025. Annual inflation had reached 3.2% in June, while the sharp vegetable increases reported on Aug. 7 occurred after the period covered by the July inflation data.
Fresh vegetables remain among the most visible food categories affected by the heat wave. Spinach posted the largest monthly increase among the widely tracked products, while cucumbers, lettuce and zucchini also recorded substantial gains. Livestock and aquaculture farms reported hundreds of thousands of heat-related losses during the same period. Retail chicken prices stayed below recent levels as authorities continued import, discount and farm-support measures aimed at maintaining food supplies during South Korea’s extreme summer temperatures.