Active Secondhand Trading of Seollal Gifts Amid High Inflation
Health Supplements and Ride Tickets Transactions Are Illegal
As the holidays approach, gift exchanges are actively being traded on secondhand transaction platforms. However, caution is needed as posting items for resale incorrectly or selling them at a premium can result in fines.
"Selling holiday gifts"... Fines up to 50 million KRW
Currently, it is easy to see health functional foods received as holiday gifts being resold on secondhand transaction platforms such as Danggeun Market. Most of these posts are by individuals reselling gifts they received, not by official sellers. Representative items include red ginseng and nutritional supplements, which are originally expensive but are sometimes sold at prices even lower than the lowest internet prices.
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, under current law, health functional foods can only be traded by businesses registered as health functional food sellers. Violations can result in imprisonment for up to 5 years or fines up to 50 million KRW, with no exceptions even if the offender was unaware of the law. A ministry official stated, "Only those who have established business facilities and reported to the local government head can engage in health functional food sales."
Health functional foods are distinguished from general foods. For example, even if the raw material is the same red ginseng product, 'Hongsam Ton' or 'Hongsamjeong Everytime' are health functional foods, whereas red ginseng candy or red ginseng jelly are general foods. Regarding this difference, the official explained, "Even if the raw material called red ginseng is the same, health functional foods are products made according to specific regulations and procedures, resulting in differences in efficacy."
An easier way to distinguish is to check for the 'Health Functional Food Certification Mark' on the product packaging. If this mark is present, it is a health functional food and should not be resold.
Resale of train tickets... Government "Will continuously monitor"
On the 27th, when non-face-to-face reservations for 2023 Lunar New Year train tickets began, the SRT electronic display board at Suseo Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
Resale is not limited to holiday gifts. It is also common to resell train tickets at a premium. This involves purchasing multiple tickets for fast-selling trains in advance and reselling them at higher prices, known as 'scalping.' This is also illegal and can result in fines up to 10 million KRW, penalties, or detention.
Additionally, tickets purchased through scalping are often used by showing screenshots, text messages, or other methods outside the official purchase website, which may require paying up to 30 times the additional fare. In response, Suseo High-Speed Railway (SRT) operator SR is launching a special crackdown on unfair ticket transactions. They monitor for unfair seat reservations using macros and abnormal purchase histories on online sites.
Monitoring of health functional food resales is also being strengthened. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety regularly checks health functional food and pharmaceutical transactions through its cyber investigation team. A ministry official said, "Many cases arise because general consumers cannot clearly distinguish between health functional foods and general foods. The government plans to conduct more active public awareness campaigns," emphasizing the importance of consumer awareness and the government's role.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
