"A Dessert Shop, They Said..." 600K YouTuber Opens Tanghulu Store Next to Another Tanghulu Store

Controversy Over Opening 'Another Tanghulu Shop' Right Next to Existing One
"Sales Dropped 70%... Fans Flood Calls Saying 'Stop Harassing Us'"

Jin Jarim, a YouTuber with 600,000 subscribers, recently promoted the opening of a tanghulu store through her YouTube account. However, controversy has arisen as it was revealed that the store is located right next to another tanghulu business that has been operating in the same area for a long time.

YouTuber Jin Jarim (left). The A Tanghulu store founded by YouTuber Jin Jarim and the existing B Tanghulu store (right). [Photo by Instagram, online community archive]

On the 16th, a post titled "YouTuber Opening a Tanghulu Shop Right Next to an Existing Same-Industry Store" was uploaded on an online community, drawing attention. Summarizing the post, YouTuber Jin Jarim’s newly opened A Tanghulu store is in the same business sector as B Tanghulu store, which has been operating in that commercial district. The author, C, said, "Opening right next to an existing tanghulu store doesn’t seem right," and added, "If she had opened in an area with few tanghulu shops, her sales would probably be good, so I don’t understand why she chose a location right next to a same-industry store."

C, who identified themselves as a resident of the area where the tanghulu store is located, said, "I live in the area and have become quite close with the owner of B Tanghulu store. The day before yesterday, I went to buy tanghulu and ended up talking with the owner after a long time, and the topic of the neighboring store came up." They continued, "The sales of the original tanghulu store had already been cut in half, so the owner was struggling. Then, a famous YouTuber opened a tanghulu store right next door in the same building, which was shocking."

They added, "The nearby real estate agents thought it was a dessert cafe when they made the contract," and "Later, the real estate agents apologized to the owner, saying they were sorry. But the owner said there was nothing they could do and that they were very upset, which made me upset as well."

D, the son of the manager of B Tanghulu store, also left a comment on Jin Jarim’s YouTube video. D said, "At first, we were told it would be a dessert shop, so we thought there wouldn’t be any problems. But during the interior process, we found out it was a tanghulu store." He added, "We were so shocked that we protested, but they shouted at us, asking what the problem was. My mother’s sales have dropped by 70% compared to before, and she still receives calls asking, ‘Why is Jarim bothering us?’" He also said, "We are seriously considering closing down soon."

Kakao Map rating of the Tanghulu store founded by YouTuber Jin Jarim.
[Photo by Kakao Map]

As of 3 p.m. on January 16, the Kakao Map rating for the controversial A Tanghulu store was 1.2 points. Netizens who learned about the controversy responded with comments such as, "It seems unethical. No ordinary person would do that," "If you open right next door, it won’t be good for either party, so why start a business there?" "Is it even legal to open a store right next to the same industry?" "I’m a fan of Jin Jarim, but this is really not right," and "They basically deceived by saying it was a dessert cafe and entered that spot; this will cause problems."

Earlier, on the 15th, Jin Jarim’s officially opened A Tanghulu store’s social media stated, "To provide a fantastic experience, we plan to regularly invite YouTubers, influencers, and broadcasters in the early stages," and "We look forward to your continued support."

(From the left) The A Tanghulu store founded by YouTuber Jin Jarim is under interior construction, and the B Tanghulu store is in operation.
[Photo by Online Community Archive]

Meanwhile, laws related to same-industry and identical-industry businesses, which many self-employed people consider important when looking for commercial spaces, are applied differently depending on whether the building is a general building or a collective building. In the case of a general building with a single landlord, there is usually no specific agreement, but landlords often refuse to lease to the same or similar industry tenants out of consideration for existing tenants. In collective buildings where each unit has a different landlord, leasing to the same or similar industry is relatively free unless otherwise specified. However, most collective buildings have management associations with building management regulations, and if those regulations include restrictions, it may be impossible to open certain businesses.