Air Force Unit Faces 'Power Abuse' Controversy After Refunding 1.25 Million Won Worth of Chicken... "Soldiers Suffered Stomach Aches" Rebuttal

Store owner said to Air Force base "Talked like abusing power... Refunded full payment for 60 chickens"
Air Force base responded to 'abuse of power' controversy "Chicken condition was serious... Some soldiers had stomachache and diarrhea"

A recent controversy has arisen over so-called 'gapjil' after an Air Force unit ordered 1.25 million won worth of chicken for delivery and then received a full refund.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A certain Air Force unit has sparked a so-called 'power abuse controversy' after ordering 1.25 million won worth of chicken for delivery, then requesting a full refund and leaving negative reviews. The unit claimed that soldiers who ate the chicken suffered from stomach pain and diarrhea.

On the 12th, an online community post titled "Air Force unit ate 60 chickens and didn't pay a single penny" was uploaded. The post included screenshots of delivery app reviews and responses from the restaurant owner, presumed to have been written by someone affiliated with the military unit.

The reviewer gave the chicken restaurant a one-star rating, stating, "Even one star is too generous. It was clearly stated that the delivery fee was 2,000 won, but I don't understand why they asked for 1,000 won in cash just because it's a military unit."

They added, "If the unit was located on a mountain or somewhere difficult for the delivery driver to reach, paying extra would be understandable, but the military unit is near the city, and none of the nearby stores charge additional fees."

The reviewer explained the situation, saying, "No one had cash, so we transferred 1,000 won via bank transfer, but it's not about the money?it's just ridiculous and infuriating. If you want to charge more because it's a military unit, you should have informed us in advance. There was no prior notice, and when the delivery driver called, there was no mention of extra delivery fees. I was very surprised when asked if I had cash. We had already paid the delivery fee upfront."

They then addressed the chicken restaurant, saying, "Think about how many potential customers you've lost over 1,000 won. Last time, when we placed a group order, we received dozens of chicken breasts only, so the unit protested and got a refund. Now, again, you're taking advantage of the military unit. Absolutely not recommended."

Photo by Online Community Capture.

In response, the chicken restaurant owner explained in a reply, "As I mentioned over the phone, we have a set boundary for delivery fees. It doesn't matter how much other businesses charge, and I apologize again for forgetting to mention this due to the delivery driver's busy schedule."

They continued, "A few months ago, you ordered 60 boneless chickens, which required preparing a large quantity. Since we had recently taken over the store, we mistakenly mixed 80% breast meat and 20% thigh meat in the boneless chicken, which caused packaging issues, and we acknowledge that."

The owner emphasized, "We sincerely apologized for our mistakes and, to make up for it, added more than the usual 750g portion, giving over 850g. We sent 61 chickens instead of 60, provided 120 cheese balls worth about 120,000 won as a service, and gave 36 colas."

The owner said, "During a time when the government is supporting small business owners, public officials repeatedly called our headquarters in a threatening manner, claiming to be from the military unit. They spoke abusively and, despite claiming the chicken was too dry to eat, we were unable to collect even one chicken. We issued a full refund for all 60 chickens."

They added, "I have a younger brother who is a career soldier. Because of that, I tried to serve more to support those working hard for the country. We changed the oil and cooked with care for four and a half hours, sweating from the heat. I was so devastated and upset that I couldn't sleep for days and worked 14 hours straight at the store."

The owner concluded, "I was going to consider this a volunteer act since it happened in the past, but since it's being brought up again, I felt compelled to respond to the reviews. Who exactly is being taken advantage of? I served 1.25 million won worth of chicken and didn't receive a single cent. Am I the one being exploited? Or is it the Air Force unit that paid the 1,000 won delivery fee? From now on, we will no longer accept orders from the Air Force unit."

Photo by Online Community Capture.

Netizens criticized the Air Force unit for abusing power against the chicken restaurant. As the review spread rapidly online, the locations of both the chicken restaurant and the Air Force unit were revealed.

As the controversy grew, an Air Force unit official stated on social media, "We ordered chicken in bulk for the hottest days of summer, and while eating, we noticed a strong off-flavor and an excessive amount of chicken breast. The important point is that we requested a refund not because of the amount of chicken breast, but because the chicken was in a severely poor condition and inedible. Some soldiers who ate the chicken suffered from stomach pain and diarrhea."

The official explained, "People think we are abusing power over the 1,000 won delivery fee, but the unit and the chicken restaurant are less than 1 km apart. We had already paid the delivery fee through the app, and we received no prior notice. The delivery driver said to collect 1,000 won here. After seeing the review, the restaurant staff came to the unit, shouted, demanded to see the battalion commander, and used abusive language. When we said we would call the police, they finally left."

They added, "We want people to understand the situation before accusing us of abusing power over 1,000 won. We also deny intentionally leaving negative reviews."