South Korea opens cabbage stockpile

Kimchi is a staple dish in Korea and can be made from vegetables such as radishes, cucumbers and green onions, but the most popular type of kimchi is made from napa cabbage. Every year, the government announces measures to help stabilize prices of napa cabbage, radishes, red pepper powder and other key kimchi ingredients during the peak production season in November. However, the South Korean Ministry of Agriculture said this year's "abnormally high temperatures" have raised concerns about disruptions in the supply of napa cabbage and radishes, prompting the government to increase the amount of napa cabbage supplied to the market by 10% compared to last year. Napa cabbage, used to make kimchi, thrives in cool climates and is usually grown in mountainous areas where summer temperatures typically fall below 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit). However, the average temperature in South Korea from June to August this year was the highest since records began in 1973, with the ...