Record-high Yellowtail Prices Surprise Consumers as Demand Soars
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
Yellowtail (bangeo) prices at Noryangjin wholesale market jumped about 30% in two weeks, with auction bids for 1 kg domestic farmed fish nearing 50,000 won. The surge, driven by winter seasonal demand, social media food trends (mukbang), and improved distribution and cooking methods, means a single sashimi plate for a group can cost up to 300,000 won in restaurants. Supply problems — delayed growth from unusually warm waters, red tides, and summer mass mortalities that killed millions of farmed fish in southern regions — have tightened availability and pushed prices even higher. Celebrity former baseball player Yang Jun-hyuk’s yellowtail farm (he raises large yellowtail at a 300-pyeong operation) and strong retail demand have raised the fish’s profile. Industry sources expect prices to ease after mid-February as supply grows, while retailers pursue sourcing diversification to stabilize costs.
