"Jeju Will Never Change, I've Had Enough"… Complaint Over 'Fatty Pork Neck' Met With "It's the Right Weight"

Tourists Outraged Over Pork Neck That's "Half Fat"
Wave of Complaints: "This Is Why People Avoid Jeju"

"Jeju Island will never change," "I've really had enough now"

Jeju Island, which has already gained a reputation as an overpriced tourist destination due to ongoing controversies over "fatty pork belly" and "25,000 won for six pieces of sundae," is once again under fire for poor-quality food. This time, an online post claimed that a black pork restaurant near Seogwipo served pork neck with half of it being fat, prompting a wave of cynical reactions online such as "Jeju Island never changes."

"Half of it is fat, and complaining is useless"-frustration grows

The condition of the pork neck at a Jeju black pork restaurant. The fat portion occupies a significant part. Screenshot from an online community.

On October 18, a post titled "Jeju Island never changes. I'm furious" appeared on an online community. The author, identified as A, wrote, "I went to a black pork restaurant near my accommodation in Seogwipo and ordered one serving of pork neck and one serving of pork belly, planning to eat whichever tasted better. But the pork neck was half fat." In the photo A shared, there were two pieces of pork neck, one of which was entirely fat. The pork belly served alongside also appeared to be about half fat.

Feeling frustrated, A complained to a staff member, but was told, "The fat was originally attached to the pork neck, and it was served according to the required weight." A added, "I was so disgusted by the fat that I threw it off the grill," and wrote, "I used to visit Jeju every two years, but I don't think I'll ever come again."

Netizens who saw the story commented, "Did they serve customers the part that's only used to grease the grill? Are they kidding?" "Where do they even find cuts like that? That's a real skill." "Jeju Island will never change." "This is why people say they’d rather travel to Japan or Vietnam than domestically." "Only honest business owners are suffering." "It feels like there are stories like this from Jeju every day." "Did they really expect customers to eat that?" "I've really had enough now," and other criticisms poured in.

Jeju’s "poor-quality food" controversies continue

This is not the first time Jeju has faced criticism over poor-quality food. Earlier, on October 10, the "Tamna Culture Festival" at Tamna Culture Square came under fire after gimbap sold at the event was deemed substandard. The 4,000-won gimbap in question was criticized for being overwhelmingly filled with just rice. In April, at the Jeon-nong-ro Cherry Blossom Festival, a vendor sold a stir-fried sundae dish with only six pieces of sundae for 25,000 won, sparking another price-gouging controversy.

A case of reporting the controversial fatty pork belly from last year. Screenshot from an online community

In particular, last year a famous restaurant was heavily criticized for serving pork belly that was more than 90% fat. In May, a customer at a renowned black pork restaurant in Seogwipo complained about being served pork belly that was 98% fat and being charged 150,000 won. The restaurant owner explained, "That's just how that cut is," but the customer countered in a media interview, calling the owner "impossible to deal with." Another tourist said that at a well-known black pork restaurant near Olle Market, "I paid 110,000 won for 1,100 grams of meat, but the meat served was so fatty that you couldn't even see the red part. I paid to be attacked by fat. I thought I was grilling eel, not pork," expressing outrage.

With these repeated food controversies, concerns are growing that "the credibility of Jeju’s tourism industry and the rate of repeat visitors could decline." Experts warn, "If there is no ongoing inspection and a fair price management system is not established, the number of domestic tourists heading to Jeju will continue to decrease."