"Do You Sell Even Spoiled Goods at a Discount?"... Jeju Oiljang Discounted Chamoe Controversy

"An Incident Caused by Selling Inventory Cheaply," Merchant Association Explains
Tourism Image Improvement Efforts Begin Amid Widespread Complaints

Recently, complaints from tourists visiting the Jeju area have been emerging everywhere, and a story has been shared about a frustrating experience after purchasing chamoe (Korean melon) at a local five-day market in Jeju. On the 13th, an online community in the Jeju region posted a message titled "Are chamoe like this these days?" The author, Mr. A, bought 10 chamoe for 10,000 won at a five-day market in Jeju the day before. He said, "All the chamoe were cheap. I thought it was the current market price, and since it was cheap, I bought them, but they were all spoiled."

Recently, complaints from tourists visiting the Jeju area have been emerging everywhere, and a story has been shared about an absurd experience after purchasing a chamoe melon at a local market in Jeju. [Photo source=Online Community]

The photos posted along with the message showed 6 to 7 chamoe cut in half, all rotten. Comments from netizens who had similar experiences at the five-day market followed one after another on Mr. A’s post. As the controversy grew, the five-day market merchants' association apologized, saying, "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused." They added, "We offer refunds or exchanges for problematic products at the merchants' association office. We plan to put up additional banners to inform customers about complaint reception." Furthermore, they explained, "This incident seems to have occurred because sometimes leftover stock is sold cheaply," and said, "We will urge the merchants to pay more attention." Netizens who saw the post responded with comments such as, "How can they sell such fruit?", "Why is Jeju like this these days?", "You get what you pay for," "You shouldn’t sell what you wouldn’t eat yourself," and "They clearly knew it was rotten but sold it anyway."

Earlier, on the 15th, Jeju Province opened the 'Jeju Tourism Complaint Center' on the 3rd floor of the Jeju Comprehensive Business Center located in Yeongpyeong-dong, Jeju City, launching an all-out effort to improve the tourism image and increase satisfaction. The Jeju Tourism Complaint Center is operated by the Jeju Tourism Association and is responsible for receiving and promptly handling complaints from tourists visiting Jeju in a one-stop manner. Additionally, the center has established a system by introducing an 'On-site Rapid Response Team' to immediately address travelers' requests.