The decline in the number of gimbap restaurants is supported by the available data. According to reporting citing Statistics Korea data, the number of gimbap restaurant establishments fell from 48,898 in 2021 to 46,639 in 2022 and 46,211 in 2023. Compared with 2021, the 2023 figure was 2,687 lower.

However, the phrase “31 consecutive months of decline,” which appeared alongside the search terms, could not be verified against the exact statistical source and criteria. Therefore, based only on the figures currently available, it is difficult to state the phrase as an official fact. In addition, the number of “gimbap” establishments and the business sentiment index for “gimbap and other simple food restaurants” compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs may cover different statistical categories and should not be treated as the same indicator.

The Sales Index Also Weakened

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ 2025 Food Service Industry Business Sentiment Index Comprehensive Report II recorded the 2025 food-service sales index for gimbap and other simple food restaurants at 72.22. This was 4.13 points lower than in 2024. The report put the food-service industry business outlook index for the same category at 86.01 for the first quarter of 2026.

Establishment-count statistics and industry sentiment indexes are different types of data. They show a decline and weaker sales conditions when considered together, but one does not directly prove the other.

How Was the Cost Burden Structured?

According to Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs data, ingredient costs accounted for 40.4% of the food-service cost structure, labor costs for 29.4%, and rent for 8.7%. Combined, ingredient and labor costs represented 69.8%, a useful reference when considering the cost burden of an industry such as gimbap restaurants, which requires multiple ingredients and food-preparation labor.

The average price of gimbap in Seoul was described as KRW 3,800 in January and May 2026 and KRW 3,838 in June. Dong-A Ilbo reported that, as of January 2025, the prices of dried seaweed and ingredients such as carrots and spinach used in gimbap had risen above their typical levels.

A Possible Shift in Consumer Demand Was Also Suggested

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs report suggested that, as high prices increased the burden of eating out, demand for gimbap and other simple food restaurants may have shifted toward ready-to-eat meals sold at convenience stores and large supermarkets. This is an analysis explaining the broader industry context, not evidence that establishes the cause of closure for any individual gimbap restaurant.

Ultimately, the current data show three things. The number of gimbap restaurant establishments declined from 2021 to 2023, and the 2025 sales index for gimbap and other simple food restaurants was also lower than the previous year. At the same time, ingredient and labor costs made up large shares of food-service expenses. By contrast, the exact criteria behind the claim of a “31 consecutive months of decline” and the reasons individual restaurants closed require additional verification of the original source material.

Sources Reviewed

  • Dong-A Ilbo, “Gimbap restaurants decline amid high prices… ‘Value-for-money’ convenience-store gimbap sales jump 42%,” accessed August 30, 2026, 21:25 UTC: https://www.donga.com/news/Economy/article/all/20250123/130923731/1
  • BizWatch, “Gimbap restaurants disappearing? Convenience-store gimbap takes off,” accessed August 30, 2026, 21:25 UTC: https://news.bizwatch.co.kr/article/consumer/2024/10/10/0019
  • Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, “2025 Food Service Industry Business Sentiment Index Comprehensive Report II,” accessed August 30, 2026, 21:25 UTC: https://www.mafra.go.kr/bbs/home/798/594990/download.do
  • Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, explanatory materials on food prices and cost structure, accessed August 30, 2026, 21:25 UTC: https://www.mafra.go.kr/bbs/home/793/578804/artclView.do