"Not Enough with Seat Fees, Now Delivery Chicken Must Use Partner Companies"…Jeju Beach Power Abuse Controversy

Borrowed a 60,000 Won Platform, Food Only from 'Related Vendors'?
Family Eventually Evicted... "Ate at a Hotel an Hour Away"

Jeju Island, which has been struggling with the controversy over 'fatty pork belly,' is now suffering from claims of being subjected to power abuse near a beach. Despite paying a high price to rent a beach mat, customers are forced to order food only from 'partner businesses' when having food delivered, leading to growing dissatisfaction among tourists visiting Jeju Island.

A's family paid 60,000 won to rent the pavilion.
[Photo by Online Community]

On the 6th, a post titled "I was subjected to power abuse at the beach" was uploaded to an online community. The author, Mr. A, who visited Jeju Island’s Hyeopjae Beach with his family, began by saying, "I saw a shop near a convenience store renting out beach mats for 60,000 won, so I purchased one."

Mr. A said, "Although it was expensive, I thought that was typical for tourist spots, so I rented the mat and ordered chicken from a franchise using a flyer I received on the beach for my hungry children."

The problem occurred while Mr. A’s family was about to eat the chicken on the mat after opening the chicken packaging. The owner who rented out the mat stopped them, saying, "You cannot eat here because this is not a business affiliated with our store."

The A family, who were kicked out of the pavilion for the reason of "not being an affiliated company," returned to the hotel and ate the chicken they ordered for delivery.
[Photo by Online Community Archive]

Mr. A explained the situation, saying, "I argued that I paid for the mat and should be able to eat there, but the owner stubbornly told us not to eat. Even when I said I would pay extra, they refused unconditionally. I was very angry at such an attitude without any prior notice." He added, "I hope those planning a trip take note that Jeju Island is like this. In the end, my family had no choice but to return to the hotel after more than an hour to eat."

Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "If I’m going to Jeju, I might as well go to Southeast Asia," "What’s wrong with Jeju these days?" "They’ll only realize after tourists decrease more," "Jeju again," "Is the 60,000 won mat rental fee really correct?" "Everything is overpriced," "Even considering it’s a tourist spot, it’s too expensive," "Domestic tourists will never go anymore," "They should have notified in advance," and "Looks like the family runs a chicken business."

Previously, Hyeopjae Beach had a conflict in 2019 between the Hyeopjae Village Association and local merchants over 'parasols.' Merchants installed parasols, mats, and tents without permission to conduct business, and when Jeju City officials appeared to remove them, they temporarily withdrew only to reinstall them later. Eventually, Jeju City mobilized 250 city officials for administrative enforcement. However, the merchants and village association voluntarily removed the installations, leading to the cancellation of the enforcement without results, but the controversy remains.

Meanwhile, the tourism industry in Jeju Island has been unstable, possibly due to the recent 'fatty pork belly' controversy in April, where visitors to a famous Jeju restaurant received pork belly full of fat. According to the Jeju Tourism Association, the number of tourists visiting Jeju last year was approximately 13,343,800, about 4% less than in 2022.