Changes are emerging in the market after President Lee Jae-myung raised the issue of prices last December, saying, "I hear our sanitary pads are so expensive." Free sanitary pads are being introduced at public facilities, while the retail industry is entering price competition by successively unveiling ultra-low-priced products costing around 100 won each.
Public Sector Expands Free Support…"No Secondhand Trading"
According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Tuesday, a public sanitary pad support service will begin sequentially starting Saturday at public facilities in 12 pilot regions nationwide, including Seoul's Gwangjin and Eunpyeong districts, Suwon and Gwangmyeong in Gyeonggi Province, Jung-gu in Daejeon, Jeongeup in North Jeolla Province, Mokpo in South Jeolla Province, Gumi in North Gyeongsang Province, and Jeju City on Jeju Island.
Sanitary pads will be placed at some 500 highly accessible public facilities such as community service centers, libraries and youth facilities, with operations beginning at facilities once preparations are complete. The total supply volume is 6.5 million packs (13 million units), with two medium-sized pads inside packaging labeled "Public Sanitary Pad" or "Everyone's Sanitary Pad."
The service operates both manual and automatic dispensers. The 300 manual dispensers will be installed first starting Saturday, with each able to hold 18 packs. The 400 automatic dispensers will be operated sequentially from the 20th after quality and safety verification, with each able to hold up to 170 packs at a time.
In particular, the automatic dispensers apply a 20-second "cool time" function to prevent indiscriminate use. After receiving pads once, a user must wait 20 seconds before receiving them again. The government plans to review usage management using QR codes and quantity limits going forward.
The government will also expand a map-based web service so users can check the nearest storage locations and stock, and has requested that secondhand trading platforms ban the trading of public sanitary pads.
"The public sanitary pad pilot project is meaningful in improving access to public services so that anyone can use sanitary pads without inconvenience," Gender Equality and Family Minister Won Min-kyung said. "As sanitary pad supply channels diversify, I hope it will also indirectly help stabilize prices."
Private Sector Competes with '100-Won Pads'…Price Cuts Gain Speed
The retail industry is also fully entering price competition.
E-mart teamed up with LG Household & Health Care's "Sofy" to launch the "Sofy Real Pure Cotton" sanitary pad. A pack of 40 medium-sized pads costs 3,950 won, or 99 won per unit, while a pack of 36 large pads costs 3,950 won, or about 109 won per unit. This is about one-quarter the price of existing pure cotton sanitary pads, with the company explaining that it secured cost competitiveness through integrated purchasing across business types.
The product uses 100% pure cotton cover and is made 26 centimeters long, 2 centimeters longer than the ordinary winged type, and has also received certification from the German dermatology research institute "Dermatest."
Along with this, E-mart is selling 20 types of overnight sanitary pads at a flat price of 7,000 won when paid with an event card, with some products also offered in a 5,000-won flat-price event. Until the 15th, more than 50 types of regular sanitary pads will be sold at 50% off when two or more are purchased.
Earlier, Daiso also collaborated with Kleannara in May to launch a sanitary pad priced at 1,000 won for 10 units (100 won per unit). Using a natural-derived pulp absorbent and having passed safety tests for substances such as formaldehyde and phthalates, it is a small-package product targeting consumers who urgently need sanitary pads or find bulk purchases burdensome.
This change began with President Lee Jae-myung's remarks last December. At the time, President Lee mentioned during a work report from the Fair Trade Commission, "I hear our sanitary pads are so expensive," and added, "They are said to be about 39% more expensive than in other countries," ordering an investigation into the situation. In fact, a survey of "period costs" by U.S. healthcare firm PlushCare found Korea to be the third-highest in the world, at about three times more expensive than the United States.
Afterward, at a Cabinet meeting held again in January, President Lee emphasized consumer choice, saying, "Companies too must stop overcharging on the grounds that products are premium," and "Prices should be lowered to give people the chance to buy standard sanitary pads."
