Kimjang 2026: Salted Cabbage Pre-Orders in Korea — Real Prices, Pickup Dates & Tips (Order by Dec 15)

Every autumn, Korean social media fills up with Reels of families rinsing mountains of salted cabbage and smearing it with red pepper paste — that's kimjang, the yearly ritual of making a whole winter's worth of kimchi at once. The clips shout "20kg of salted cabbage for under ₩30,000!" but skip which store, which region, what weight, and whether the deal is already over. We cross-checked three news reports on Lotte Mart's 2026 pre-order, E-mart's earlier sale, last year's supermarket schedules and Korea's food-safety washing study, so you know the real prices, dates and pickup rules — whether you live in Korea or want to join a kimjang day on your trip.

Image: Lotte Mart kimjang pre-order promo image (press photo provided by Lotte Mart, published by Newspim on September 30, 2026). The Korean reads "Get ready at Lotte Mart & Super — kimjang pre-orders start October 1."

1. The short answer: what "under ₩30,000" really means

As of October 8, 2026, the viral price comes with every one of these conditions:

• Lotte Mart / Lotte Super, Haenam salted napa cabbage, 20kg box
• ₩29,900 (about $21) — and that's after a ₩10,000 discount for paying with a partner promo card
• Limited quantity, during the first pre-order round, October 1–7 — which ended yesterday

The good news: according to multiple reports, Lotte Mart keeps taking salted-cabbage pre-orders until December 15. The catch: prices and discounts for the later window haven't been announced, so don't assume ₩29,900 still applies — check the app before you pay.

Quick background: "salted cabbage" (jeorim baechu) is napa cabbage that's already been halved, brined and drained, so you can skip the most exhausting overnight step of kimjang. Korean supermarkets sell it by pre-order every autumn.

2. Lotte Mart 2026 prices and dates at a glance

First-round prices by region (20kg)

Region	Price	Approx. USD
Haenam (far south)	₩29,900 (promo card, limited)	~$21
Goesan (semi-highland)	₩35,900	~$26
Pyeongchang (highland)	₩59,900	~$43

USD figures are rough estimates at about ₩1,400 per dollar.

Key dates

• Round 1: October 1–7, 2026 (closed)
• Further pre-orders: through December 15. Nongmin Shinmun reported a second round on October 8–14, but other outlets didn't mention it — confirm in the app.
• Pickup: any day you choose between November 5 and December 21, in store at Lotte Mart or Lotte Super
• Where to order: Lotte Mart customer service desk, Lotte Super info desk or checkout, or the "Lotte Mart ZETTA" app

Lotte Mart says it secured 20% more salted cabbage than last year — but the "limited" Haenam deal still goes fast.

Add-ons you can pre-order together

• Kimchi seasoning, 6.5kg — ₩69,900 (~$50) each: Jeolla style (anchovy sauce) or Gyeonggi style (salted shrimp)
• Salted ponytail radish, 5kg — ₩39,900 (~$29); mustard-leaf kimchi, 3kg — ₩39,900
• Haenam easy kit — 5kg salted cabbage + 1.5kg seasoning, aimed at small households (price not reported)

3. That "E-mart ₩28,620" price is already gone

You may also see "E-mart salted cabbage ₩28,620" floating around. Per Newspim and SBS Biz, that was a September 3–9 sale that has ended:

• 10kg of highland salted cabbage from Anbandegi in Gangneung (about 1,100m above sea level), sold via E-mart's "Order to Home" app feature
• 3,000 boxes only, ₩28,620 with a 10% promo-card discount, delivered September 16–19
• 4–8 heads per box

Note the weight: 10kg vs Lotte's 20kg. Always compare salted cabbage by weight first.

Image: Anbandegi highland cabbage field in Gangneung (press photo provided by E-mart, published by Newspim on August 31, 2026).

4. Missed Lotte's first round? What other stores did last year

As of October 8, we couldn't find official 2026 announcements from E-mart (autumn kimjang), Homeplus or Nonghyup Hanaro Mart. For reference, here's 2025:

• Homeplus (2025): round 1 October 10–29 (pickup Nov 13–22), round 2 October 30–November 19 (pickup Nov 27–Dec 13). Haenam 20kg for ₩29,900 with a ₩20,000 promo-card discount (Oct 10–15, first come first served).
• E-mart (2025): pre-orders until about October 29, 60,000 boxes chain-wide, around ₩27,800 with a ₩10,000 card discount.

Both opened later than Lotte last year, so waiting a little to compare is a reasonable move — though 2026 may differ. It works the same way as the holiday gift-set deals we covered in our Chuseok gift set pre-order guide: each round has different discount terms.

5. Practical tips for foreigners and visitors

Before you order

• Card discounts are Korean cards. The headline prices assume a specific Korean partner card. Paying with a foreign Visa/Mastercard most likely means you won't get that discount — budget for the undiscounted price, which hasn't been published.
• The app is built for Korean users, and Korean shopping apps may ask for a Korean phone number to sign up. If that's a hurdle, ordering at the store's customer service desk in person (bring a translation app) or asking a Korean friend is the easier route.
• Pickup is in store, not delivery. A 20kg box is heavy — plan a taxi or car, not the subway.
• How much? A Korea Rural Economic Institute survey (2016) found a family of four planned to buy about 22 heads of fresh cabbage for kimjang. Heads per salted box vary by seller, so check the label. Solo or couple? The 5kg easy kit is the sensible size.
• Visiting, not living here? Raw salted cabbage won't survive a flight. The realistic options are joining a friend's or host family's kimjang day, or a kimjang cooking class.

On pickup day

1. Check the box and bag for leaks before leaving the store.
2. Use it the same day if you can. Korea's food-safety ministry ran a test (as reported in 2019): same-day use is safest, and leaving salted cabbage at room temperature for a day or more can let coliform bacteria grow.
3. If you can't use it right away, refrigerate.
4. Drain cut-side down for 1–3 hours — don't squeeze it by hand.

Should you wash it?

In that same study, washing three times cut total bacteria by 95% and coliforms by 93%. Use about 3x the cabbage's volume in water, rub for 10 seconds once, then change the water and swish-rinse twice more. If it sat for a day or longer, definitely wash — but don't overdo it, or the leaves go soft.

If you buy in bulk often, our Costco Korea membership guide is worth a look too.

Wrap-up

The viral "under ₩30,000" salted cabbage was Lotte Mart's Haenam 20kg box with a Korean promo card, limited stock, and it ended October 7. Pre-orders run until December 15, and pickup can be any day from November 5 to December 21. Save this for kimjang season — and if another supermarket opens its pre-orders or prices change, drop a comment and we'll update.

Sources: Newspim (Sept 30 and Aug 31, 2026) / ZDNet Korea via Daum News (Sept 30, 2026) / Nongmin Shinmun (Sept 30, 2026) / SBS Biz / Nate News, Etoday, Newsis (Oct 2025, last year's schedules) / Kuki News, Insight (Nov 2019, food-safety ministry washing study) / Korea Rural Economic Institute 2016 kimjang demand report / Newsis (2022). Images are press photos provided by Lotte Mart and E-mart. Information as of October 8, 2026 — confirm prices and dates in store or in the app.