Selling 10kg of Kimchi for 30,000 won... Trusted and Paid, Then Contact Cut Off 'Betrayal'

Private Companies Selling 10kg of Domestic Kimchi for 30,000 Won

Amid soaring cabbage prices, the number of 'Gimpo-jok' (people who give up on making kimchi) is increasing, and recently, 'kimchi scams' have been rampant online. On the 29th of last month, JTBC's 'Sageon Banjang' reported stories of consumers who were scammed after using shopping malls that claimed to sell kimchi at prices cheaper than the market.

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

They reportedly purchased kimchi after seeing advertisements on certain portal sites and secondhand trading platforms stating, "Domestic Poggi Kimchi 10kg sold for 29,900 won." The company sold not only kimchi but also fruits, marinated crabs, meat, and other food products, emphasizing that there were no middle distribution stages, allowing them to sell products at low prices. However, the kimchi was never delivered, and many customers lost contact with the company.

Victim A said, "On October 11, I saw a banner promoting kimchi, so I visited the site. The kimchi was so cheap that I placed an order and waited." He added, "They told me in advance that delivery might be delayed due to difficulties in cabbage supply." He continued, "One day, I noticed their KakaoTalk profile picture was 'Unknown,' so I contacted them via phone number. They only said, 'Delivery is delayed, so we will send it with tangerines,' and 'Please wait,' but from October 21, they stopped responding altogether."

[Image source=JTBC 'Sageonbanjang' news screen]

Another victim, B, said, "Most people know that kimchi prices are very high right now. But to scam people using this is just wrong." The company reportedly allowed card payments for other products they sold but induced bank transfers only for the kimchi items, receiving payments via direct deposit.

This kimchi scam company appears to have promoted itself by displaying banner ads on popular portal sites and applications such as Naver, KakaoTalk, and Danggeun Market. Since they sold kimchi at prices much cheaper than market brands, the number of victims is expected to be considerable.

Currently, Naver and others are reportedly receiving consumer damage reports and have taken post-measures such as blocking the company's advertisements. The police are also investigating the company's location and the scale of the damage.

Meanwhile, a travel site with the same name as this kimchi scam company is also suffering damages. The travel agency announced, "We are receiving damage reports claiming purchases of agricultural and marine products have been made through our travel agency," adding, "We are a travel agency unrelated to that company and do not sell any agricultural or marine products such as kimchi."