Imported coffee, wine, beer more expensive in Korea

The price of some imported items such as wine, coffee and fruit were higher in South Korea than in a dozen other countries, according to data compiled by a local civic group.

For instance, a tall size Starbucks cup of coffee, a piece of U.S. steak, a bunch of bananas, one grapefruit and a 1.5-liter bottle of Coca Cola, among other imported goods, were the second-most expensive here out of a total of 13 nations surveyed by Consumers Korea.

Heineken beer imported from the Netherlands was being sold at more than double the price, and so was the U.S. beer brand Miller.

And a tall-size Starbucks coffee was about 18 percent more expensive than in Japan, and about 45 percent more expensive than in the U.S.

Other such as green grapes were also being sold at almost double the price than in their home market of North America. Wine was about 70 percent costlier than in the Netherlands, where it was being sold at the fifth-most expensive price among the surveyed nations.

Consumers Korea said it compiled the data for a total of 35 imported goods being sold in 13 countries. The group said that prices in South Korea were among the top five most expensive for 31 out of 35 surveyed categories. The surveys were conducted in June and October of 2015.

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)