Warning Issued to Unfriendly Merchants, Possible Closure if Repeated
Merchant Reads Apology Statement... "We Will Respond with Kindness"
Recently, merchants at the Sokcho squid market, who have been at the center of a controversy over unfriendliness, held a self-reflection resolution meeting and issued an official apology.
Squid auction merchants and officials are apologizing for the controversy over their unfriendliness. Photo by Yonhap News
On August 8, the Sokcho City Fisheries Cooperative, the Chae-nakgi Business Owners’ Association, and the Yangmiri Gillnet Association held a special hospitality training session and a resolution meeting in Cheongho-dong, Sokcho, together with about 20 market tenants. This was a response to the recent controversy over unfriendliness that arose in media reports and on social networking services (SNS). The merchants adopted a resolution pledging to greet customers with bright smiles and offer honest prices, and vowed to prevent the recurrence of repeated overcharging and coercion of high-priced orders.
Warning Issued to Those Involved... All Merchants Temporarily Suspend Operations
The Sokcho Chae-nakgi Business Owners’ Association announced that it had issued a warning to the party involved in the controversy on July 22. The association stated, "If the same complaint occurs again, we will consider suspending or closing the business." It added, "The tenant in question will suspend operations until August 31, and all tenants will also halt operations for six days from August 17 to 22 to reflect on the incident." During this period, they plan to revise internal regulations to create a more hospitable business environment.
Merchants Issue Official Apology, Local Government Promises to Prevent Recurrence
On this day, all merchants at the squid market released an official apology, and the owner at the center of the controversy personally read the statement. The merchants said, "We sincerely apologize for causing concern," bowing their heads, and added, "We offer our heartfelt apologies to those who experienced inconvenience." Promising, "We deeply reflect and will ensure this never happens again," they concluded, "We will humbly listen to our customers’ valuable feedback and respond with even greater hospitality in the future."
Kang Jeongho, a member of the Gangwon Provincial Council, attended the resolution meeting and emphasized the role and importance of the squid market in regional tourism, urging merchants to adopt a more friendly attitude. Sokcho City also pledged to prevent a recurrence, stating, "To restore trust in tourism, we will strengthen on-site guidance and thoroughly monitor for cases of unfriendliness."
Origin of the Controversy... Unfriendly Remarks in a YouTube Video
An employee at a squid stall restaurant in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, urging a solo customer to "eat quickly." Kim Sulpocha YouTube
This controversy began in June, when the YouTube channel "Kim Sulpocha" released footage showing a market owner urging a customer to finish their meal quickly and asking them to change seats. In the video, YouTuber "Kim Sulpocha" was told about nine minutes after receiving squid sashimi, "Miss, could you not eat here and move inside instead?" and was pressured to change seats. Just two minutes after receiving steamed squid, the owner added, "Are you going to eat there? Eat quickly." The YouTuber expressed confusion, saying, "It had only been 18 minutes since I sat down and just two minutes since the steamed squid arrived."
This video, coinciding with a previous controversy over unfriendliness in Yeosu, sparked nationwide concern over the attitudes of merchants at tourist destinations. Attention is now focused on whether this resolution and apology will serve as more than a one-time measure and lead to a broader transformation of the region’s service culture.
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