Soaring living costs push first-time and returning Korean voters to US midterms

Korean American voters in Seattle, Los Angeles and other U.S. communities described rising living costs ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. An AAPI voter survey found that 86 percent of Korean American registered voters considered inflation and the cost of living very or extremely important in deciding how to vote. Some voters blamed President Donald Trump’s policies or expressed frustration with both major parties, while some people who had not voted for years or had never voted said they were participating this time.

The 2026 AAPI Voter Survey was conducted by Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote and AAPI Data, and 90 percent of Asian American respondents overall rated inflation and living costs very or extremely important to their vote.

A casual Korean restaurant meal can cost a family of four more than $100, including taxes and tips.

Kim Hyun-joo, 42, said weekly piano lessons and soccer for her two children cost about $1,000 a month, despite limiting extracurricular activities.

U.S. consumer prices rose 3.7 percent in September from a year earlier, while gasoline prices increased 9.1 percent from the previous month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A San Diego resident said gasoline cost $5.69 per gallon, while commenters described higher prices for Halloween candy and ice cream.

Published Oct 30, 2026 2:41 am KST

A person shops for groceries in New York City on Aug. 26. Reuters-Yonhap

SEATTLE — For Lee Min-ha, a 46-year-old Korean living near Seattle, eating out has become a luxury her household can no longer afford.

"Everything has gotten so expensive that eating out is completely out of the question," Lee said. "I've been buying groceries almost exclusively on sale for quite some time now. Living in America is getting harder and harder, and every day I wonder how things got this bad."

A meal at a casual Korean restaurant can easily cost a family of four more than $100 once taxes and tips are included, making even an occasional family outing an increasingly expensive proposition.

Lee's frustration reflects a widespread concern among Korean voters ahead of the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections.

Voters fill out their ballots at an early voting polling place at Bethel Lutheran Church on Wednesday in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Getty Images via AFP-Yonhap

The 2026 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Voter Survey, conducted by Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote and AAPI Data, found that 86 percent of Korean American registered voters considered inflation and the cost of living very or extremely important in deciding how to vote.

The figure was 90 percent among Asian American respondents overall, underscoring the importance of pocketbook issues as voters prepare to decide which party controls Congress for the remaining two years of U.S. President Donald Trump's term.

For families struggling to make ends meet, the strain goes well beyond groceries and gasoline.

In Los Angeles, Kim Hyun-joo, 42, said the cost of raising two children keeps climbing, even though she has tried to limit their extracurricular activities.

"We barely do any extracurricular activities," Kim said. "But even with just weekly piano lessons and soccer, it's easy to spend $1,000 a month."

The frustration is also playing out in Korean online communities across the U.S., where posts about soaring prices have drawn responses from others facing similar struggles.

"I filled up my car today, and when I saw the bill was nearly $100, I couldn't help but curse," one commenter wrote.

In San Diego, another resident said gasoline was still costing $5.69 per gallon.

The latest government figures show that price pressures persist. U.S. consumer prices rose 3.7 percent in September from a year earlier, while gasoline prices jumped 9.1 percent from the previous month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Halloween candy is displayed at a Target store, Tuesday, in Los Angeles, California. According to a FinanceBuzz price analysis, the average price of a 100-piece bag of assorted Halloween candy has risen 71 percent since 2021 to $16.96 in 2026, outpacing overall inflation, as Americans are expected to spend a record $13.5 billion on Halloween-related purchases this year. Halloween candy sales declined 6.7 percent year over year for the four-week period ending Oct. 17, according to NielsenIQ data. Getty Images via AFP-Yonhap

Even the simple tradition of handing out Halloween candy has become more expensive.

"A bag of candy that used to cost $10 is now $20," one parent wrote. "Even the $1 ice cream has gone up to $2. Prices have risen so much that I can feel it even when buying candy for the kids."

Money worries have also spilled into political discussions, with some blaming Trump's policies for the rising costs and others voicing frustration with both major parties.

And for some Koreans who had long stayed away from the ballot box, the political climate has provided a reason to vote again.

"I hadn't voted in a very long time, but this time I voted as soon as my ballot arrived," one user wrote, urging others to participate.

Another replied, "I voted for the first time in my life. I couldn't just sit back and watch what's happening."

Others shared similar experiences in separate online discussions.

"I registered to vote for the first time, filled out my ballot and mailed it today," one person wrote.

Another said it had been more than a decade since they last voted.

"I voted this time after more than 10 years of not voting," the commenter wrote, citing anger over the political situation.

Some described voting alongside family members, while others said they had never felt so strongly about taking part in an election.

"I've never wanted to vote this badly in my life," one commenter wrote after casting a ballot with college-age children.

在11月3日中期选举前夕，西雅图、洛杉矶和其他美国社区的韩裔美国选民纷纷表示生活成本不断上涨。亚太裔选民协会（AAPI）的一项选民调查发现，86%的韩裔美国登记选民认为通货膨胀和生活成本在决定投票意向时非常重要或极其重要。一些选民将矛头指向特朗普总统的政策，或对两大政党都表示失望；而一些多年未投票或从未投票的人则表示，他们这次会参与投票。

2026 年亚太裔选民调查由亚裔和太平洋岛民美国人投票组织和亚太裔数据组织进行，90% 的亚裔美国受访者认为通货膨胀和生活成本对他们的投票非常重要或极其重要。

在一家普通的韩国餐厅吃一顿饭，一家四口可能要花费超过 100 美元，包括税费和小费。

42岁的金贤珠表示，尽管她限制了两个孩子的课外活动，但每周的钢琴课和足球课每月仍要花费他们大约1000美元。

据美国劳工统计局数据显示，9月份美国消费者价格指数同比上涨3.7%，汽油价格环比上涨9.1%。

一位圣地亚哥居民表示，汽油价格为每加仑 5.69 美元，而评论者则提到万圣节糖果和冰淇淋的价格上涨了。

发布于2026年10月30日凌晨2:41（韩国标准时间）

8月26日，一名顾客在纽约市购物。（路透社-韩联社）

西雅图——对于居住在西雅图附近的46岁韩国人李敏荷来说，外出就餐已经成为她家再也负担不起的奢侈品。

“物价飞涨，外出就餐完全不可能了，”李说。“我已经有一段时间几乎只买打折的食品杂货了。在美国生活越来越难，我每天都在想，事情怎么会变得这么糟糕。”

在一家普通的韩国餐厅用餐，加上税金和小费，一家四口很容易花费超过 100 美元，这使得即使是偶尔的家庭外出也变得越来越昂贵。

李的沮丧情绪反映了韩国选民在11月3日美国中期选举前的普遍担忧。

周三，在明尼苏达州明尼阿波利斯市的伯特利路德教会提前投票点，选民们正在填写选票。图片来源：Getty Images via AFP-Yonhap

由亚裔和太平洋岛民美国投票组织和亚裔和太平洋岛民数据组织进行的 2026 年亚裔和太平洋岛民 (AAPI) 选民调查发现，86% 的韩裔美国注册选民认为通货膨胀和生活成本在决定如何投票时非常重要或极其重要。

亚裔美国受访者中这一比例高达 90%，凸显了经济利益问题的重要性，因为选民们正准备决定哪个党派将在美国总统唐纳德·特朗普剩余的两年任期内控制国会。

对于那些难以维持生计的家庭来说，压力远远不止于食品杂货和汽油。

42岁的金贤珠（音译）在洛杉矶表示，尽管她努力限制两个孩子的课外活动，但养育他们的成本仍在不断攀升。

“我们几乎不参加任何课外活动，”金说。“但即使只是每周一次的钢琴课和足球课，一个月也很容易花掉1000美元。”

这种不满情绪也蔓延到了美国各地的韩国网络社区，有关物价飞涨的帖子引起了其他面临类似困境的人们的回应。

“我今天给车加满了油，看到账单将近 100 美元时，我忍不住咒骂了一声，”一位评论者写道。

圣地亚哥的另一位居民表示，汽油价格仍然高达每加仑 5.69 美元。

最新政府数据显示，物价压力持续存在。据美国劳工统计局的数据，9月份美国消费者物价指数同比上涨3.7%，汽油价格环比上涨9.1%。

周二，在加利福尼亚州洛杉矶的一家塔吉特百货商店，万圣节糖果正在陈列。据FinanceBuzz的价格分析显示，自2021年以来，一袋100颗装的什锦万圣节糖果的平均价格已上涨71%，到2026年将达到16.96美元，涨幅超过整体通货膨胀率。预计今年美国人在万圣节相关商品上的支出将达到创纪录的135亿美元。根据尼尔森IQ的数据，截至10月17日的四周内，万圣节糖果的销量同比下降了6.7%。图片来源：Getty Images via AFP-Yonhap

就连分发万圣节糖果这样简单的传统也变得更贵了。

一位家长写道：“以前10美元一袋的糖果现在要20美元了。就连1美元的冰淇淋也涨到了2美元。物价上涨如此之快，就连给孩子们买糖果都能感受到。”

经济担忧也蔓延到了政治讨论中，一些人将物价上涨归咎于特朗普的政策，另一些人则对两大政党都表示不满。

对于一些长期以来远离投票站的韩国人来说，当前的政治环境让他们有了再次投票的理由。

“我已经很久没有投票了，但这次我一收到选票就去投票了，”一位用户写道，并敦促其他人参与投票。

另一位网友回复说：“这是我人生中第一次投票。我不能袖手旁观，任由事态发展。”

其他人在其他在线讨论中分享了类似的经历。

“我第一次登记投票，今天填写了选票并寄了出去，”一位选民写道。

另一位受访者表示，他们已经十多年没有投票了。

“我这次投票了，这是我十多年来第一次投票，”这位评论者写道，并表示对当前的政治局势感到愤怒。

一些人描述了与家人一起投票的经历，而另一些人则表示，他们从未如此强烈地感受到参与选举的必要性。

“我这辈子从来没有这么想投票过，”一位网友在和上大学的孩子一起投票后写道。