What is South Korea doing to keep Chuseok food prices down in 2025?

Officials said the government will release a record 172,000 tons of food reserves to stabilize prices ahead of Chuseok. The plan also expands supply of hanwoo, pork, eggs, and other staples, while offering discounts on gift sets.

Why is the Korean government intervening in Chuseok holiday inflation?

The measures are meant to blunt inflation’s sting during one of the biggest shopping weeks of the year, when families gather and households buy more food. Officials said the strategy is also meant to support confidence by flooding the market at the right moment.

How Korea handles holiday inflation

Q: How will hanwoo and other holiday goods change under the Chuseok price plan?

Hanwoo supply will nearly double from the average Chuseok season, and pork distribution will rise to 6.5 tons, about 30 percent above usual volume. Eggs and other daily staples will also be more widely available, and some holiday gift sets will be discounted by up to 50 percent.

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Summary

South Korea is stepping in to curb Chuseok food inflation by releasing a record 172,000 tons of food reserves, officials said Friday. The plan was signed off by First Vice Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il and is meant to ease pressure on household budgets. Supply of hanwoo and pork will rise, while eggs and other staples will be more widely available. Shoppers can also expect discounts of up to 50 percent on popular holiday gift sets.

Key Facts

The government said it will release 172,000 tons of food reserves, the largest holiday stock program it has attempted.
Premium Korean beef, known as hanwoo, will nearly double in supply this month compared with the average Chuseok season.
Pork distribution will rise to 6.5 tons, about 30 percent above usual volume.
Shoppers can expect discounts of up to 50 percent on popular holiday gift sets that often include Spam canned meat and shampoo.

By Jane Han

Published Sep 20, 2025 2:06 am KST
Updated Sep 20, 2025 12:59 pm KST

A woman shops for groceries in Seoul, where officials are releasing record food stockpiles to fight inflation ahead of the Chuseok holiday season. Yonhap

Every autumn, South Korea gears up for Chuseok, a holiday as central to Koreans as Thanksgiving is in the U.S. Families gather, ancestral rites are held and dining tables overflow with meat, fruit and traditional dishes.

But the season also throws a familiar problem: food prices soar just as households are preparing for one of the biggest shopping weeks of the year.

This year, the government is stepping in with officials saying Friday that they will release a record 172,000 tons of food reserves to keep costs under control, the largest holiday stock program the country has ever attempted.

The plan was signed off on by First Vice Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il, underscoring Seoul’s determination to ease pressure on household budgets.

The measures go beyond routine stockpiles. Premium Korean beef, known as “hanwoo,” will nearly double in supply this month compared to the average Chuseok season, while pork distribution will rise to 6.5 tons, about 30 percent above usual volume. Eggs and other daily staples will also be made more widely available, and shoppers can expect discounts of up to 50 percent on popular holiday gift sets, which often include popular items such as Spam canned meat and shampoo.

For the government, the strategy is as much about confidence as it is about calories. By flooding the market at just the right moment, policymakers hope to blunt inflation’s sting during a season when family gatherings happen the most.

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