From January to July, kimchi imports totaled around 130 billion won ($98.47 million), up 6.9 percent year-on-year, according to the Korea Customs Service.
The import volume increased by 6 percent to 173,329 tons during the same period, breaking the previous record of 172,689 tons set in 2019.
Experts say the surge in imports comes as domestic cabbage prices soared due to high inflation and a poor summer harvest. In July, the average price of high-grade cabbage was 1,247 won per kilogram, 11 percent higher than the average for the year.
"The increase in imports could be attributed to restaurants switching to imported kimchi due to rising prices, as well as the poor domestic cabbage supply during the summer," said an official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Almost all of Korea's imported kimchi comes from China, typically priced about 40 percent lower than domestic products. Imported kimchi accounts for about 14 percent of total kimchi consumption in Korea, based on 2022 figures.
While imports have risen, Korea's kimchi exports also grew by 3.7 percent to 129 billion won in the first seven months of this year, with the United States and Europe showing notable increases in demand.
The Korea Rural Economic Institute warned in a December report that the influx of low-priced Chinese kimchi "threatens the foundation of the domestic kimchi industry."
