Imported foods more expensive in S.Korea than elsewhere

(THE CHOSUN ILBO)Imported delicacies like wine, coffee and fruit are vastly more expensive in Korea than in other countries, according to data compiled by a consumer group.

Consumers Korea surveyed the prices of 35 products sold around the world, including meat, dairy products and farm produce from June to October of last year and found that 31 were among the most expensive in the world here.

Prices of Chilean wine (Montes Alpha), green grapes (Thompson Seedless) and Korean pork (1 kg) were the highest in Korea out of the 13 countries that sold them.

Out of eight imported beers, Heineken and Miller were being sold at more than double the price here, while Asahi and Tsingtao were the third most expensive.

A bottle of Heineken cost W2,106 here and only W729 in the Netherlands where it is produced (US$1=W1,217). A bottle of Miller's beer cost W2,203 here, but only W960 in the country of origin, the U.S.

Prices of grapes, bananas, oranges, pineapples, lemons and cherries were the third most expensive in Korea out of 13 countries.

Yoon Myung at Consumers Korea said, "Korea signed free trade agreements with Chile, the EU and other countries, but prices of imported products remain high."