A novel strain of salt phobia sweeping Korea
CHOI HYUN-JOOThe author is a stock market news reporter of the JoongAng Ilbo.
The history of salt coincides with the history of mankind. It is a necessary element for life as important as water. Humans began to recognize the presence of salt as their lifestyle changed from hunting for meat to settlement with grain. As salt contained in meat and milk is not found in grains and vegetables, they had to get salt separately. As a result, its value grew.
Salt was more precious than gold. In ancient Rome, soldiers were paid with salt. Hence, the word “salt” came from the “salary.” In Africa, slaves were even bought with salt. The value of a slave was determined by the salt the size of their foot.
In Korea, salt was already produced before the Three Kingdoms Period. According to “Samguk Sagi,” a historical record of the Goguryeo, Baekje and Shilla kingdoms, King Micheon of Goguryeo lived in exile by trading salt. During the Goryeo Dynasty, the state controlled salt production, and during the Joseon Dynasty, a salt monopoly system was implemented.
As the supply of salt fell short of meeting the demand, King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty established an organization to find effective ways to increase salt production. They tested the time required for salt production and compared components such as iron and soil used to heat seawater. In 1447, senior government official Lee Seon-je wrote in his statement to the king, “The salt from the East Sea can be collected by boiling seawater in an iron pot for one full day. The salt from the southwest seawater can be collected by boiling the seawater in a clay pot for one day twice to make it saltier. Coupled with the relatively cheap labor cost in the southwest region is a bit cheaper, the profits from those salts are twice as much as the salts from the East Sea.”
Even before the Covid phobia disappeared, “salt phobia” has emerged in Korea. After Koreans are worried about discharge of contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, they are stocking up on salts.
This month, the sales of sun-dried sea salt at large supermarket chains doubled from the same period last year while online sales grew by six times. The wholesale price of 20-kilogram (44-pound) sea salt tripled over the past 20 days.
Politicians who should seek solutions are in chaos. The opposition is going around the country to encourages salt phobia with sensational remarks like “nuclear-polluted water” and “nuclear wastewater.” Despite sending an observation team to Japan and giving a daily briefing, the governing party does not have any answer. Salt is not just food. It should not the topic of demagogue — if not King Sejong’s people-oriented politics to increase necessary salt production for the people.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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