"I switched to iPhone and Galaxy"... The latest news of the fish cake shop that hit big with the 'Lee Jae-yong set'

Busan Kkangtong Market Fish Cake Shop Visited by Yoon Seok-yeol and Lee Jae-yong Hits Jackpot
Fish Cake Shop Says "Business Was So Good We Switched to Galaxy Phones"
Chairman Lee's Favorite Item Becomes a 'Sold-Out Legend'... Whenever Used, It Sells Out

After Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong visited, a fish cake shop in Busan's Kkangtong Market reportedly saw its sales increase more than fivefold. The shop has marked spots such as 'The place where Chairman Lee Jae-yong stood' and 'The place where he scooped up (the food),' clearly benefiting from the so-called 'Lee Jae-yong effect.'

The exterior view of the fish cake shop where Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong ate fish cake when President Yoon Suk-yeol and business leaders visited Busan International Market on the 6th of last month.
[Photo by Online Community]

On the 3rd, an online community post titled 'Latest Update on Lee Jae-yong's Fish Cake Shop' attracted attention. Previously, on December 6 last year, Chairman Lee visited the Busan Kkangtong Market fish cake shop along with President Yoon Suk-yeol and other major group heads. At that time, he was even caught on camera enjoying the fish cakes and asking for more broth.

In response, the fish cake shop reportedly recorded the traces of famous visitors throughout the store. Outside the shop, display stands indicate 'The place where Chairman Lee Jae-yong stood' and 'The place where he scooped up (the food),' allowing customers to enjoy the same spots. A promotional phrase, 'Fish Cakes of Korea's VIPs,' is also prominently displayed. There are reports that videos of Chairman Lee continuously play on TVs installed inside the store.

Netizens who saw the photos responded positively, saying things like, "It has become a tourist attraction," "If I were the owner, I would wallpaper the shop with Chairman Lee Jae-yong's photos," and "I want to eat a fish cake at the same spot to receive Chairman Lee's energy."

President Yoon Suk-yeol and business leaders visiting Busan International Market on the 6th of last month, with Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong talking with merchants.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the fish cake shop revealed its recent two-week sales on its official SNS account on the 12th of last month, stating, "Thanks to Chairman Lee Jae-yong, sales have skyrocketed." After his visit, the store's sales graph reportedly surged more than fivefold. On the online store, the so-called 'Lee Jae-yong set' is driving sales. On Naver Smart Store, the best-selling set product is promoted as 'The fish cakes Chairman Lee Jae-yong ate.'

The shop owner said, "Business has been so good that my younger sibling, who only used iPhones, switched to Samsung (Galaxy)," adding, "When the monitor reaches the end of its life, I will switch to Samsung as well."

'Lee Jae-yong Items' Sold Out... "Sold Out as Soon as Used"

The 'Softlips' lip balm applied during the first public hearing of the Choi Soon-sil state affairs investigation.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Chairman Lee's 'sold-out legend' is not limited to the fish cake shop. Skechers, which gained much attention for the shoes he wears, announced that from 2017 until the end of October last year, their sneaker sales exceeded 120 billion won cumulatively. This is a record high following the first time sales surpassed 30 billion won in 2022. The shoes, Chairman Lee's 'favorite item,' were identified as the 'Go Walk Arch Fit' model, which continues to enjoy steady popularity.

Additionally, the Arc'teryx 'Firebee AR Parka' that Chairman Lee wore when boarding the SRT saw a significant increase in product inquiries immediately after photos were released. The 'Lee Jae-yong red padding jacket' even ranked on various portal sites' real-time search terms. At that time, the brand was not very well-known domestically, and despite the high price of around 1.3 million won, it quickly sold out, generating great interest.

The 'Softlips' lip balm that Chairman Lee applied during the first hearing of the 2016 Choi Soon-sil political scandal investigation became popularly known as the 'Lee Jae-yong lip balm' and gained huge popularity. Priced individually at around 2,300 won, the lip balm was not released in Korea and had to be purchased through overseas direct imports. After gaining popularity as the 'Lee Jae-yong lip balm,' it was officially launched in Korea in 2022.