Consumers in Korea pay more for camping equipment than those in the U.S., Japan and Australia despite low satisfaction over quality, research showed on Thursday.

A “Smart Consumer Report” by YWCA Seoul showed that camping equipment made by the same outdoor brands was more costly in Korea than in other countries.

But 558 campers in Seoul and surrounding areas who participated in the survey said equipment quality did not match the high prices.

The Korean camping market has been on a steady rise, having expanded about sixfold from 70 billion won ($63 million) in 2008 to about 500 billion won this year, the study estimated. About 1.5 million Koreans go camping, but the increased popularity has not lowered prices, contrary to market principles, the study said.

Some camping products turned out to be about double the price than in its country of origin, data showed. Some tents of a Japanese maker, for instance, were about 1.9 times the price of the same tents sold in Japan.

The study researched the prices of 10 core outdoor activity items, including tents, sleeping bags, tarps, grills and camping chairs, from 10 makers from Korea and overseas. The brands looked at include The North Face, Coleman, K2, Snow Peak and Kolon Sport.

The research was funded by the Fair Trade Commission, the nation’s antitrust watchdog, to counter unreasonable prices for consumer goods and generate fair market competition.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)