Fierce ”kimchi war” breaks out in South Korea's hotel industry as demand for luxury goods rises

Seibu T&D, which operates complex facilities, plans to launch cabbage kimchi at its Seoul Dragon City brand hotel in the first half of 2025.
The company will differentiate itself by selling Gyeonggi-style kimchi. Unlike Jeolla-style kimchi, Gyeonggi-style kimchi uses fewer condiments and makes the most of the natural flavors of the ingredients.
Recently, there has been fierce competition over kimchi in the Korean hotel industry.
The company is Chosun Hotel & Resort. The hotel's annual kimchi sales are expected to reach 40 to 50 billion won (approximately 4.238 billion to 5.297 billion yen).
In addition, Walkerhill Hotels & Resorts will launch the "Walkerhill Kim" e-commerce site, which will be produced in a partner factory.
Lotte Hotels & Resorts, which was the latest to launch the line, is also selling cabbage kimchi, chongak kimchi, white kimchi, and other varieties.
The reason why hotels are rushing to get into the kimchi business is that while the demand for kimchi has dropped sharply due to rising prices, the demand for high-quality kimchi made with domestic ingredients is growing.
Each company is expanding its own brands, including food products, in order to diversify its revenue structure.