'Dwaejeotgal Panmyeong' Tteokgalbi Foreign Substance Dispute Continues for 2 Years... Buyer Claims "Branded as Black Consumer"

Plastic-like stiff pork hair found in Tteokgalbi
Consumer suffers 1cm foreign object embedded in gums
Company offers 50,000 won gift certificate to protesting consumer
No compensation or refund agreement reached for over 2 years

Netizens are debating over a story in which a person suffered gum injury from foreign objects while eating a famous brand's Tteokgalbi but received no compensation. On the 22nd, Yonhap News reported the story of Mr. A, a photographer in his 40s living in Seoul. On June 24, 2022, Mr. A purchased Tteokgalbi from Company B at a nearby large mart and felt a foreign object sharply piercing his gums while eating it. When the discomfort and pain persisted, Mr. A visited a dentist and removed a 1cm-long plastic-shaped foreign object from his gums.

The foreign substance found in the famous Tteokgalbi was confirmed by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to be a 1cm long pig bristle that was stiff like plastic.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Mr. A reported the incident to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and the investigation revealed that the foreign object was a pig hair mixed in during the production of the Tteokgalbi. The foreign object showed a 97-98% similarity to pig hair in two tests?FT-IR, which analyzes by passing light through the sample, and XRF, which uses X-rays?and had a 5% similarity to plastic, indicating it was rigid enough to pierce the gums.

The substance showed a similarity of 97-98% to dental pulp in two tests: FT-IR, which analyzes by passing light through the material, and XRF, which uses X-rays. It also showed a 5% similarity to plastic, indicating a rigidity sufficient to be embedded in the gums.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, assuming the foreign object entered during pork processing, administratively guided Company B to ensure thorough hygiene management and food safety to prevent similar cases in the future. However, since pig hair is a foreign substance originating from raw materials, unlike metal, plastic, or glass, its unavoidable inclusion was considered, and the administrative guidance to Company B was limited to a "caution."

Company Rejects Consumer's Request as "Excessive Demand"

However, Mr. A and Company B failed to reach an agreement on compensation or refund for over two years. Company B offered a 50,000 KRW mobile gift certificate as compensation, which Mr. A did not accept. Afterward, Company B took no further action. Previously, Mr. A had purchased foreign food at the same mart and found plastic wrap inside. When he inquired, the responsible person from that company immediately visited, apologized, explained the situation, and offered 900,000 KRW in compensation, resolving the incident. Mr. A expressed dissatisfaction with Company B's customer service.

However, Mr. A and Company B were unable to reach an agreement on compensation and refunds for over two years. Company B offered a 50,000 won mobile gift certificate as compensation for the damage, but Mr. A did not accept it. Consequently, Company B took no further action.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Mr. A said, "I did not simply want money; I thought there was a problem with the consumer response of a large corporation," adding, "I could not accept the attitude of either accepting a 50,000 KRW mobile gift certificate without a sincere apology or being told to just give up." He also expressed displeasure at being labeled a black consumer and insisted, "Recognize the fault regarding the foreign object found in a famous product of a global company and take appropriate measures."

Company B refunded Mr. A 15,000 KRW on the 8th, nearly two years after the dispute began. This amount was 3,000 KRW more than the original purchase price, reflecting inflation. A Company B representative explained, "Since Tteokgalbi uses a lot of pork, hair or bones may occasionally appear," adding, "The consumer initially demanded excessive compensation, citing past foreign food company compensation cases, and requested mental damage compensation, which is difficult to accept." Ultimately, after Company B refused compensation, Mr. A recently filed a police report and requested mediation for damage compensation from the Korea Consumer Agency, and the case is expected to be handled by the Dispute Mediation Committee.

Netizens' opinions on Mr. A's story were divided. Some commented, "Consumers are treated like servants in Korea," and "Even legitimate compensation requests are labeled as black consumers." On the other hand, some argued, "The demand is excessive," and "In the end, isn't the compensation wanted just money?"