KAMIS data as of October 7, 2026: domestic sesame 30 kg wholesale and 500 g retail prices converted to 1 kg, the gap with Chinese and Indian sesame, what to ask a mill before pressing sesame oil, and when and where growers should sell.
Many people look at the price of a bottle of sesame oil and think: why not buy domestic sesame and have a local mill press it? Farm households that grew sesame face the opposite question: what to charge per kilogram for this year’s threshed seed. Buyers and sellers look at different numbers for the same domestic sesame. Both can start from the same table.
Bottom line: In the KAMIS survey on October 7, 2026, domestic white sesame (top grade, 30 kg) averaged KRW 736,000 at wholesale across five cities, about KRW 24,500 per kilogram, 7.9% below October 1 a year earlier. Retail averaged KRW 15,742 per 500 g across five cities in September 2026, about KRW 31,500 per kilogram, and about KRW 36,000 per kilogram in Seoul. Chinese sesame retails for about one third of domestic.
1. Domestic sesame 30 kg wholesale
| City | Top grade 30 kg (Oct 7) | Per kg | Top grade 30 kg (Sep 30) | Top grade 30 kg (Oct 1, 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daegu | KRW 808,000 | KRW 26,933 | KRW 808,000 | KRW 802,000 |
| Seoul | KRW 773,000 | KRW 25,767 | KRW 773,000 | KRW 806,000 |
| Busan | KRW 753,000 | KRW 25,100 | KRW 753,000 | KRW 776,000 |
| Daejeon | KRW 720,000 | KRW 24,000 | KRW 720,000 | KRW 827,000 |
| Gwangju | KRW 626,000 | KRW 20,867 | KRW 776,000 | KRW 784,000 |
The five-city average is KRW 736,000, down from KRW 799,000 a year earlier. Seoul eased from KRW 790,000 in January to KRW 773,000 in June and has held there for four months.
Gwangju stands out: it fell 19% in one week, from KRW 776,000 on September 30 to KRW 626,000 on October 7, while the other four cities did not move. One city alone is not yet a national trend; watch whether others follow in the next surveys. Daily prices are on /en/prices/sesame/.
2. What does 1 kg cost at retail?
KAMIS surveys domestic sesame at retail in 500 g units. September 2026 averages, converted to 1 kg:
| City | 500 g (Sep 2026) | Per kg | 500 g (Sep 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul | KRW 18,001 | KRW 36,002 | KRW 20,175 |
| Daejeon | KRW 16,900 | KRW 33,800 | KRW 18,000 |
| Busan | KRW 16,300 | KRW 32,600 | KRW 15,300 |
| Daegu | KRW 13,900 | KRW 27,800 | KRW 14,500 |
| Gwangju | KRW 13,610 | KRW 27,220 | KRW 14,295 |
The five-city average is KRW 15,742 per 500 g, about KRW 31,500 per kilogram, 4.3% below a year earlier. Seoul’s October 1–7 average was KRW 17,350 per 500 g (KRW 34,700 per kg). When shopping online for 1 kg of domestic sesame, KRW 27,000–36,000 is a reasonable reference range; much cheaper offers deserve a second look at origin and crop year.
3. Domestic vs. Chinese and Indian sesame
| Type | Wholesale 30 kg (Seoul, Oct 7) | Per kg | Retail 500 g (Seoul, Sep 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic (top grade) | KRW 773,000 | KRW 25,767 | KRW 18,001 |
| Chinese (medium) | KRW 217,000 | KRW 7,233 | KRW 4,664 |
| Indian (medium) | KRW 165,000 | KRW 5,500 | – |
At Seoul wholesale, domestic sesame costs 3.6 times Chinese and 4.7 times Indian. At retail, domestic is about 3.9 times Chinese. Imported 30 kg prices are covered in our September post on imported sesame 30 kg wholesale. With a gap this large, check that packaging states origin, crop year and seller contact details, and that blends show the mix ratio.
4. Pressing sesame oil: what to ask
The biggest cost of mill-pressed sesame oil is the seed, not the pressing fee. With domestic sesame around KRW 30,000 or more per kilogram at retail and Chinese around KRW 10,000, the raw-material cost differs more than threefold before any oil comes out.
Oil yield varies by mill, roasting level, press type and seed condition, so this post does not give a “bottles per kilogram” figure. Instead, ask the mill three things:
- How many milliliters usually come from 1 kg (mills often quote by doe or mal, traditional volume units, so ask in kilograms for comparison).
- Whether washing and bottles are charged separately from the pressing fee. Some mills do.
- Whether you can choose the roasting level, which changes aroma, color and yield.
Then the math is simple: (seed + pressing fee + washing + bottles) ÷ milliliters = cost per milliliter. Compare that with store-bought domestic sesame oil.
5. When and where should growers sell new-crop sesame?
Two reference numbers matter: wholesale 30 kg divided by 30 (KRW 25,767 in Seoul, KRW 24,533 five-city average on October 7) and retail 500 g doubled (about KRW 31,500 five-city average). Direct-sale prices per kilogram usually fall in between.
| Channel | Per kg reference | Fits when |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale market or collector (30 kg) | KRW 21,000–27,000 (by city) | Large volume, no time for sorting and small packs |
| Direct sale to regulars (1 kg) | Between wholesale and retail | Cleanly sorted seed, origin and crop year you can vouch for |
| Online small packs | Near retail (shipping and packing extra) | Repeat customers, time for packing and service |
Wholesale prices are what intermediaries charge, so growers receive less at auction. City gaps are large too: Daegu KRW 808,000 vs. Gwangju KRW 626,000 per 30 kg on October 7. Compare city net receipts with the produce market calculator.
Will prices rise if you wait? Seoul domestic sesame wholesale shows almost no seasonality over 2016–2025: with the yearly average at 100, October is 98.8, November 101.2 and December 104.0. Large October-to-December rises happened only in 2020 (+21.4%), 2021 (+21.5%) and 2024 (+9.6%); the other seven years stayed within ±4%. The long-run level jumped in 2020 from around KRW 480,000–500,000 to the 700,000s and has stayed there. Since sesame does not reliably rise by season, sell when the seed is clean and in good condition rather than holding it in poor storage.
6. Checklist
- Domestic top-grade sesame 30 kg wholesale: KRW 736,000 five-city average on October 7 (about KRW 24,500 per kg).
- Retail 1 kg: about KRW 31,500 five-city average in September, about KRW 36,000 in Seoul.
- Chinese sesame is under one third of domestic. Recheck origin if domestic 1 kg is far below KRW 20,000s.
- For sesame oil, ask the mill about yield per kg and separate charges, then compare cost per ml.
- Growers can set direct-sale prices between wholesale per kg and retail per kg.
- Sesame does not reliably rise by season. Do not wait if storage is poor.
7. Conclusion
Domestic sesame is trading slightly cheaper than last year: wholesale is down 8% and retail 4%. Buyers can use KRW 27,000–36,000 per kilogram as a reference and check origin, and anyone planning to press oil should ask the mill about yield first. Sellers can price direct sales between wholesale and retail, and selling while quality is good is safer than waiting for a seasonal rise.
References
- aT KAMIS period wholesale prices (data.go.kr API): domestic white sesame top grade 30 kg, Chinese and Indian medium grade 30 kg, Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon, September 2025 to October 7, 2026.
- aT KAMIS monthly wholesale and retail prices: domestic white sesame top grade and Chinese medium grade 500 g retail (September 2025 to October 2026, October through the 7th), Seoul sesame 30 kg monthly wholesale averages 2016–2026.
- Act on the Origin Labeling of Agricultural and Fishery Products (origin and blend ratio labeling).
- IMUN.FARM /en/prices/sesame/ sesame price page (KAMIS daily wholesale).
- Actual prices and oil yields vary by origin, grade, moisture, impurities, roasting, mill and sales channel.