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A Korea Consumer Agency investigation revealed that bottled water prices can differ by up to 1.7 times depending on the brand, even when sourced from the same location. It was also found that verifying information for online-sold label-free bottled water is inconvenient for consumers.

Bottled Water Prices Differ by Up to 1.7x Even from Same Source

According to a Korea Consumer Agency investigation, even for bottled water using the same source and factory, prices diverged by up to 1.7 times depending on the brand. Lotte Chilsung's Icis 8.0 was priced at 72 won per 100ml, while Coupang's Tamlasoo Label-Free was 43 won, revealing a significant disparity. A 23% price difference was also observed between Woongjin Foods' Gayawater and Montbest Label-Free. This analysis suggests that brand and distribution structure influence bottled water prices, and the domestic bottled water market is growing to a scale of 3 trillion won.

Online Bottled Water: Source 'Blind Spot,' Expiration Date, Label-Free Information Lacking

The Consumer Agency pointed out the problem of 'blind' delivery for online bottled water purchases, where consumers cannot know the source information. 12 out of 28 brands randomly ship products produced from two or more sources, making it difficult for consumers to know which source's water taste they will receive before ordering. Furthermore, 64% of products displayed only the expiration date as '12 months from manufacturing date' on their online pages without the actual manufacturing date, making verification difficult. Label-free bottled water, introduced in 2020 to enhance recycling efficiency, also made it difficult for consumers to verify information as the QR codes on bottle caps or engraved information on containers were small and blurry. The Consumer Agency urged improvements in such bottled water information display methods.

*Source: YouTube: SBS News (2026-03-12)*

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