Korea tests 12 convenience-store gimbap: 760–1,393 mg of sodium per roll
All 12 gimbap rolls tested by the Korea Consumer Agency from the four major convenience-store chains met safety and labeling standards. Filling ratios and sodium varied widely, and prices ranged from 2,800 to 3,600 won a roll.
All 12 products pass safety checks
The Korea Consumer Agency on Oct. 16 published a quality comparison of 12 gimbap products sold at 7-Eleven, emart24, CU and GS25: four tuna, four bulgogi and four plain rolls.
All products met standards in tests for preservatives and sweeteners in the pickled radish and burdock, heavy metals, microbes and foreign matter. Nutrition, allergen and country-of-origin labels also complied with the rules.
How much tuna or beef is inside
Tuna made up 16.5% to 21.9% of the four tuna rolls by weight, with 7-Eleven’s All New King Deumppuk Tuna Gimbap the highest. Bulgogi rolls varied more, from 13.1% to 23.7%, led by CU’s PBICK THE KITCHEN Bulgogi Gimbap.
Among plain rolls, GS25’s Original Geunbon Gimbap had the highest share of fillings at 45.1%. In the agency’s survey, filling ratio was the information consumers most wanted (51.9%, multiple answers allowed).
Sodium equals 38–70% of the daily value
One roll contained 760 to 1,393 milligrams of sodium, or 38% to 70% of the 2,000-milligram daily value. The lowest was 7-Eleven’s Hando Choegwa charcoal-flavor bulgogi roll at 760 milligrams. Calories came to 18% to 27% of a 2,000-calorie day, light for a full meal.
In the survey, 68.9% said they eat convenience-store gimbap with cup noodles, whose 100-gram reference serving carries 1,355 milligrams of sodium. The agency said adding milk or eggs gives a more balanced meal.
Prices from 2,800 to 3,600 won
Plain rolls cost 2,800 to 3,000 won, tuna rolls 3,100 to 3,400 won and bulgogi rolls 3,200 to 3,600 won, a gap of up to 200 to 400 won within each type.
The agency noted that telecom membership discounts, store subscription plans, payment-method offers and monthly promotions can lower the price. Product-by-product results are posted on the Consumer24 website (consumer.go.kr).
Sources & context
2026-10-15T23:46:17.709Z
Korea Consumer Agency · Convenience-store gimbap comparison (Korea.kr) ↗Korea Consumer Agency · Full release (hwpx) ↗Wikimedia Commons · ProjectManhattan / CC0 ↗Photo credit
ProjectManhattan (Wikimedia Commons) · CC0 1.0File photo of sliced gimbap (2013), not one of the tested products. ProjectManhattan / CC0 1.0.