"No Overcharging at All" Even After a Deep Bow... Again, the 'Darieopsneun Kkotge' (Legless Crab)

Soraepogu Market Promises to Eradicate Solicitation and Overcharging
Market Officials Say "Even Crabs Cut Off Each Other's Legs"

Despite a collective apology aimed at eradicating soliciting and overcharging, it has been revealed that 'legless crabs' are still being sold at Soraepogu Fish Market, causing controversy.

On the 14th, merchants are apologizing at Soraepogu Traditional Fish Market.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 19th, Chosun Ilbo reported that two days after the collective apology by Soraepogu Fish Market merchants, soliciting continued at the market, and it was difficult to know the exact price of the crabs.

According to the report, the initial price quoted by the merchants differed from the final amount charged, and the crabs being sold were placed in boxes without proper inspection.

Upon checking the crabs in the box, four out of five had only one claw each, and some were missing legs on their bodies, indicating that 'legless crabs' were still being sold.

However, the market side partially refuted this through Hankyung.com, stating, "If the claws of the crabs are not cut off, crabs in the aquarium sometimes cut each other's legs."

They added, "We have once again urged merchants to refrain from provocative soliciting or changing prices as it can lead to consumer distrust," and "We have warned them to always inform consumers whether the crabs have all their legs before selling."

A photo posted last month on an online community claiming to have been a victim of 'flower crab substitution'
[Photo by BobaeDream]

Earlier, Soraepogu Fish Market merchants faced public outrage after a post spread on online communities claiming damage from a 'crab swap' at one of the stores in Soraepogu.

The author of the post stated that they purchased live crabs at Soraepogu, but upon arriving home, found that the crabs had been swapped with ones missing legs.

Along with this, as complaints about soliciting and overcharging at Soraepogu Fish Market surged, the merchants eventually issued a public apology.

The merchants also conducted a three-day training session to eradicate illegal activities and held a midnight rally to shout for the elimination of soliciting and overcharging, but similar situations have repeated, indicating that improvement is still needed.

Professor Han Sang-rin of Hanyang University’s Business Administration Department said, "Local governments crack down on price display systems whenever similar incidents recur, but they cannot control the merchants' greed," adding, "In today's social media era, promoting 'good stores' or 'merchants' as a way to encourage ethical sales among merchants is also a method."