SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – Fresh vegetable prices have surged in South Korea as prolonged extreme heat reduced shipments and damaged farm output nationwide. Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. data showed spinach at 1,978 won per 100 grams on Aug. 7, up 152.3% from a month earlier. Ten cucumbers cost 8,313 won, an increase of 54.8%. Blue lettuce rose 41.7%, while a zucchini climbed 46.6% to 1,504 won.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs linked the increases to persistent high temperatures affecting heat-sensitive vegetables. Spinach, cucumbers and zucchini grow better in cooler conditions, while extreme heat can slow growth and reduce marketable output. South Korea has endured exceptional temperatures during the current heat wave. Yangsan, in the country’s southeast, reached 42.5 degrees Celsius on Aug. 2, the highest temperature recorded nationally since weather observations began in 1904.
The scorching weather has also hit livestock farms, with 901,602 animal deaths recorded through Aug. 7. Poultry, including chickens and ducks, accounted for about 95% of those losses. Officials said the livestock deaths stood at about 55% of the level recorded during the same period last year. The retail price of broiler chicken was 5,925 won per kilogram on Aug. 7, falling below 6,000 won for the first time since February.
Heat damage reaches farms and fisheries
High water temperatures have created another pressure point for South Korea’s food sector. Aquaculture farms recorded 864,497 fish deaths through Aug. 7 as coastal waters warmed. The average auction price for one kilogram of flounder reached 22,300 won between July 27 and Aug. 1. That represented a 2.29% weekly increase and a 13.2% rise from a year earlier. High-temperature warnings for coastal waters had expanded to 17 areas by Aug. 7.
Authorities have taken measures aimed at stabilizing supplies of food affected by the heat wave. The government has increased broiler chicken imports and expanded discount promotions for fish at major retailers. Agricultural support measures include misting equipment, shade materials and ventilation systems for farms facing extreme temperatures. Officials also strengthened the agricultural disaster response structure from Aug. 7 and designated a special management period for heat and drought as damage accumulated across farming regions.
Fresh-food spike contrasts with July inflation
The latest vegetable increases came against a broader inflation picture that had eased in July. South Korea’s consumer price index stood at 119.77, based on a 2020 level of 100. Consumer prices fell 0.2% from June and increased 2.8% from July 2025. The July inflation rate slowed from 3.2% in June. The latest retail vegetable price snapshot, dated Aug. 7, came after the period covered by the July consumer inflation report.
The food price increases highlight the immediate economic effects of South Korea’s record heat on fresh produce and aquaculture. Spinach recorded the largest monthly rise among the widely tracked vegetables, while cucumbers, lettuce and zucchini also became significantly more expensive. Livestock and fish farms reported hundreds of thousands of heat-related losses, although chicken retail prices remained below recent levels. Government supply measures and retail discounts are operating alongside emergency agricultural programs as extreme summer conditions continue to affect food production.
