PRICE-EFFICIENT KIMCHI MAKING EVENT

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Frequent typhoons that hit South Korea this summer has caused cabbage prices to surge significantly. This means greater expenses for kimjang, the annual tradition of making large batches of kimchi during the cold winter season. An event was held to help consumers purchase high-quality products needed for kimjang at lower-than-market prices. Here is the story.

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Families sit at a table loaded with salted cabbages and other kimchi ingredients. White cabbages are stuffed with red seasoning. Elementary school girls also show off their good kimchi-making skills.

[Soundbite] TAE MIN-YOUNG(5TH GRADER) : "My back aches, since I have to bend my head like this. But it is fun to scrub seasoning in this way."

A family even traveled up to four hours to participate in this kimchi-making event. The participants are excited to spend quality time together with their families.

[Soundbite] KIM MYUNG-SOOK(CHANGWON, GYEONGSANGNAM-DO PROV.) : "It is fun. I am very grateful for my husband's help. It feels like a festival."

After an hour into making kimchi with instructions from a kimch master, piles of appetizing and tempting kimchi are stacked up. After hours of hard work, nothing is better than boiled pork and fresh kimchi to fill empty stomachs.

[Soundbite] ROH SEONG-GEUN(JEONJU, JEOLLABUK-DO PROV.) : "It tastes better, since we eat it on the spot. Imsil cabbages are of great quality this year."

Participants pay 150,000 won and bring home 30 kilograms of kimchi. They are satisfied with the cost and the quality of the farm produce, which comes from Imsil, Jeollabukdo Province. The cost is about half of what is predicted to be the average expense for kimjang this year.

[Soundbite] CHOI YONG-HAN(IMSIL-GUN OFFICIAL) : "First, Kimchi can be made at lower costs. Second, all ingredients, excluding salted shrimps, were produced by farmers in Imsil."

This year's kimchi festival, the fourth of its kind, will run until Sunday with more than 3,600 people having signed up.