SEOUL — It’s no April Fool’s Day joke: On April 1, haircuts on base will cost 50 cents more, then go up again in June.

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service is raising the price of haircuts from $6.75 to $7.25. The price will rise 35 cents more to $7.60 on June 1.

The two-step increase aims to “lessen customer impact” of a total 85-cent price increase, according to an AAFES news release.

AAFES used the average price of a haircut from 10 market-basket surveys in the United States — minus 30 percent — to establish the price here in South Korea, AAFES officials said.

They were unable to use South Korean barbershop averages because off-post barbershops are off-limits to U.S. Forces Korea personnel, according to the news release. Military officials here have said off-base barbershops are off-limits because of problems with prostitution.

The haircut price increase will be the first since June 1, 2004, according to AAFES.

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