2026 supermarket pre-order prices for 20 kg boxes of salted kimchi cabbage by region, the October 2 KAMIS cabbage wholesale price, how to pick a delivery date, food-safety rules for rinsing and storage, and what growers selling salted cabbage directly should prepare.
Kimjang pre-orders for salted napa cabbage opened in the first week of October. A 20 kg box from Haenam went on sale below KRW 30,000, and Haenam growers immediately protested that it was a loss-leader price.
Bottom line: 2026 supermarket pre-order prices for a 20 kg box of salted cabbage are KRW 29,900 for Haenam (with a promotional card; regular price KRW 39,900), KRW 35,900 for Goesan semi-highland and KRW 59,900 for Pyeongchang highland cabbage. Book in October, have it delivered on kimjang day or the evening before, and use it the same day.
1. 2026 prices.
| Origin | 20 kg price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Haenam | 39,900 | 29,900 with promotional card |
| Goesan (semi-highland) | 35,900 | |
| Pyeongchang (highland) | 59,900 |
Lotte Mart and Lotte Super took first-round pre-orders from October 1 to 7, with pick-up dates between November 5 and December 21. E-mart offers Haenam 20 kg at KRW 29,800. The Haenam salted cabbage producers’ association said limited-quantity promotions distort what consumers think salted cabbage should cost, and asked retailers to disclose who pays for the discount. A regular price in the KRW 30,000s is a more realistic benchmark.
2. How much is 20 kg?
Boxes contain halved cabbages, and the head count depends on cabbage size, so sellers list different numbers. Check the stated head or half count before ordering. The common four-person kimjang benchmark is 20 heads of fresh cabbage.
3. When to order and receive.
Order in October before preferred dates fill up. The Korea Meteorological Administration considers kimjang timing right when the daily mean temperature stays below 4°C and lows drop below 0°C: late November to early December in Seoul and the central inland, early to mid-December in the south.
4. After delivery (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety).
Use salted cabbage on the day it arrives; coliforms can grow if it sits at room temperature for a day or more. Rinse by soaking and gently rubbing the root end and between leaves, no more than three times. In the ministry’s test, three rinses cut total bacteria by 95% and coliforms by 93%; more washing makes the cabbage soft.
5. For growers.
On October 2, top-grade highland cabbage averaged KRW 17,000 per 10 kg (three heads) across five cities, versus KRW 24,960 a year earlier. Salted cabbage prices also cover salt, water, labor for salting, rinsing and draining, packaging and shipping, and salting removes weight, so more than 20 kg of fresh cabbage goes into a 20 kg box. Growers selling directly should follow the ministry’s salted cabbage hygiene guideline, check local permit requirements, let customers choose delivery dates, double-bag boxes against leaks and ship early in the week.
References
- Lotte Mart and Lotte Super salted cabbage pre-order announcement, as reported by Newspim and SmartBiz on September 30, 2026.
- Kukinews, Haenam salted cabbage growers protest supermarket prices, October 6, 2026.
- Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, safe use of salted cabbage and hygiene guideline for salted cabbage producers, November 13, 2019.
- aT KAMIS, wholesale prices by period: napa cabbage (highland, autumn), top grade 10 kg, five cities, September 2025–October 2, 2026.
- Korea Meteorological Administration, kimjang timing criteria.