In a shift in fruit consumption in South Korea, consumers are found to be buying more bananas than apples.  
 
Discount chain E-Mart said Friday bananas topped its fruit sales chart in the first half of the year, surpassing the previous bestselling apples for the first time.
 
The grocery outlet said that the sales of the tropical fruit surged eight-point-seven percent to 37-point-six billion won while the sales of apples dropped 16-point-two percent to 33-point-one billion won during the period.
 
Bananas from South Korea's southern Jeju Island and overseas had been more expensive than apples and other traditional Korean inland fruits in the 1980s but imported banana prices have fallen over a few decades to gain competitiveness. E-Mart said that banana sales are expected to top 70 billion won for the first time this year as the imported fruit are favored as meal replacements.