KB News Desk
Chuseok gift season is arriving early — and at the high end, a bottle of wine comes with a 10 million-won price tag.
Department stores and hotels are rolling out premium gift sets ahead of Chuseok, which falls Sept. 25. The holiday comes 11 days earlier than last year, prompting retailers and hotels to move up their gift-set preorders.
Among them, Josun Hotels & Resorts is offering a 10 million-won ($7,200) wine set pairing a Meo Camuzet bottling from Vosne-Romanee with a magnum of Salon 2015.
Galleria opened preorders Friday for about 300 items, with discounts of up to 30 percent through Sept. 6. Among its most premium offerings is No. 9 Black, a hanwoo line made exclusively from 1++ beef with a marbling score of 9. A 1.6 million-won Osaek Jinmi set combines Hokkaido sea urchin, hanwoo, Red Shine Muscat grapes, caviar and organic olive oil.
Shinsegae Department Store is taking preorders through Sept. 6 for about 370 items. Discounts range from 5 to 10 percent on hanwoo, 20 to 30 percent on dried yellow croaker, 10 to 25 percent on fruit and up to 65 percent on health foods.
Its 21 hanwoo varieties, sourced through direct auction bidding by its buyers, range from a 210,000-won grilling set to a 660,000-won prime steak box. Fruit hampers start at 89,500 won. The retailer is also turning restaurant dishes into gift sets, including 300,000-won short ribs from Yoon Haeundae Galbi and 150,000-won soy-marinated raw crab from Kim Soo Sa.
Hyundai Department Store is running its preorder sale through Sept. 3, with about 300 items discounted by up to 25 percent. Its offerings go beyond food to beauty products, appliances and tableware, including two Baccarat tumblers for 380,000 won and a 1 million-won pillow from Swedish bedmaker Hastens.
Hotels are also emphasizing exclusivity. Along with its 10 million-won wine set, Josun Hotels & Resorts is offering a 1.5 million-won VIP hanwoo set featuring premium cuts.
Lotte Hotels & Resorts has about 130 gift items, including lifestyle products and its own bathroom amenities. Food offerings range from 1+ grade Hoengseong hanwoo from Gangwon Province to 1.55 million-won dried yellow croaker from Yeonggwang, South Jeolla Province. Its preorder sale ends Sept. 3.
Park Hyatt Seoul is taking reservations through Sept. 8. Its signature meat set, featuring 1++ hanwoo cuts and extra virgin olive oil, costs 550,000 won, while braised short ribs with Wando abalone and eight garnishes cost 480,000 won. Restaurant vouchers are discounted 25 percent, with the discount rising to 30 percent for orders of 10 or more.
