Whistleblower "90,000 won for sashimi, perilla leaves, and a few seafood pieces" Outraged
Son of Seafood Restaurant Owner Publicly Apologizes
[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] When a controversy over so-called 'overcharging tactics' arose at a sashimi restaurant located in Wolmido, a major tourist destination in Incheon, a person claiming to be the son of the restaurant owner issued an apology.
According to the internet community Bobae Dream on the 14th, a post titled "Review of a 90,000 KRW small sashimi pack from ○○ Sashimi Restaurant in Wolmido" was uploaded the day before on the bulletin board.
The author, who stated they live in Seoul, posted a photo along with a comment that they paid 90,000 KRW for a takeout sashimi pack at a sashimi restaurant in Jung-gu, Wolmido, Incheon. The photo showed a styrofoam takeout container lined with lettuce, with a few pieces of sashimi placed on top.
The author said, "When I called the restaurant to ask about the takeout sashimi, they hung up saying they were busy, and when I called again, they told me to come tomorrow because they were busy," adding, "When I asked several times if this pack of sashimi really cost 90,000 KRW, they said 'yes'."
The post received over 800 critical comments such as "I'd rather buy sashimi from the seafood section of a large supermarket than take out sashimi from Wolmido" and "I can't believe such merchants still exist."
Most netizens pointed out that the chronic problem of overcharging tactics has been repeatedly occurring at major tourist spots in Incheon, such as Wolmido and Soraepogu.
As the controversy continued, a person claiming to be the son of the owner of the raw fish restaurant posted a separate apology on the same day. Photo by BobaeDream
As the controversy continued, a person claiming to be the son of the restaurant owner posted a separate apology on the same day. Along with the apology, he attached a photo of a 90,000 KRW sashimi set served inside the restaurant, not for takeout.
With the help of his son, the owner wrote a handwritten apology stating, "I acknowledge the wrongdoing without any excuse and reflect on it," and "Due to the nature of the tourist area, demand is not high and freshness must be maintained, so we will no longer offer takeout sales."
He continued, "There might be only one takeout customer per month, so we did not have proper takeout containers," and added, "Since this is a report for the public good, I will make no excuses and will strive to operate with improved and better service."
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