The pungent scent of red chilli powder hangs in the air at Kim Chieun\u2019s kimchi factory in Incheon, about 30km west of Seoul. Inside, salted cabbage soaks in large metal vats in the first stage of a process that Kim has followed for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n
But watching over the production line has become increasingly fraught. South Korea<\/a> imports more kimchi than it exports, and the gap has widened as cheaper Chinese-made products take hold in the domestic market.<\/p>\n \u201cKimchi has become a world food from Korea<\/a>, but this makes no sense at all,\u201d Kim says, describing how local restaurants have abandoned his products in favour of lower-priced imports. \u201cThis market has been taken away from us.\u201d<\/p>\n Kimchi from China<\/a> sells to restaurants for about 1,700 won ($1.15) per kilogram, while Korean-made versions average about 3,600 won ($2.45), more than double the price.<\/p>\n In the first 10 months of this year, South Korea<\/a> imported $159m worth of kimchi, almost entirely from China, while exporting $137m.<\/p>\n Kimchi, a fermented vegetable dish served with almost every Korean meal, is a cornerstone of food culture on the Korean peninsula. The term covers far more than the spicy cabbage most familiar to international diners.<\/p>\n There are more than 150 recognised types, made with radish, cucumber, spring onions and other vegetables, seasoned with blends of chilli powder, garlic, ginger and fermented seafood paste, shaped by local climates and tastes.<\/p>\n The fermentation process produces beneficial lactic acid bacteria that contribute to kimchi\u2019s reputation as a health food.<\/p>\n Families traditionally prepared large quantities together during kimjang, the annual winter preparation ritual recognised by Unesco as intangible cultural heritage. But how Koreans consume kimchi is changing.<\/p>\n Single-person households have more than tripled since 2000, now accounting for more than 36% of all households, and fewer people make kimchi at home.<\/p>\n Kim Chieun overseas kimchi production at his Incheon factory, Dec 2025. Photograph: Raphael Rashid<\/p>\n Instead, it is increasingly consumed ready-made or while eating out, where kimchi is served free of charge with every Korean meal. Charging for such a staple would be unthinkable.<\/p>\n As a result, while overall kimchi consumption has declined, demand for commercially produced kimchi has grown, with producers becoming increasingly dependent on restaurants and large buyers.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you avoid losses and don\u2019t go bankrupt, that\u2019s already fortunate,\u201d says Kim. \u201cFor many of us over the past decade, we haven\u2019t been able to invest in facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018A food that contains our soul\u2019<\/p>\n Market forces mean that price, rather than origin or method, are now the decisive factor.<\/p>\n Jeon Eun-hee, who has run a kimchi factory in Hwaseong, 47km from Seoul, for 29 years, abandoned plans for a second facility eight years ago as Chinese imports gained ground, and says he has contemplated closing the business if sales continue to decline.<\/p>\n \u201cShould we really be using imported kimchi when this is a food that contains our people\u2019s soul?\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s truly heartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n