Some food prices sold at highway rest areas have risen faster than consumer prices.
According to data submitted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Min Hong-cheol, a member of the National Assembly's Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee, from the Korea Expressway Corporation on the 30th, as of Jun., the average selling price of the top 10 food and beverage items by sales at highway rest areas was 6,342 won. That was up 12.5% from Jun. 2021 (5,638 won). During the same period, the consumer price index (CPI) rose from 102.05 to 116.31, up 14.0%.
However, prices of some items rose faster than the consumer inflation rate. Pork cutlet items increased 25.1% over the same period from 8,916 won to 11,218 won. In addition, udon items (5,890→6,539 won, 18.1%), Americano coffee (4,041→4,754 won, 17.6%), bibimbap items (8,390→9,778 won, 16.5%), gukbap items (8,142→9,569 won, 15.4%), and walnut cookies items (4,445→5,096 won, 14.6%) saw price increases outpacing inflation. Six out of the 10 top-selling foods at highway rest areas had larger price hikes than the inflation rate.
Min Hong-cheol said, "Even just a bowl of rice and a snack at a rest area easily tops 10,000 won," and noted, "To ease the burden on people using rest areas during the Chuseok homebound rush, authorities should check the drivers of price increases and prepare measures to guide reasonable pricing."