"8,000 won for just noodles and pickled radish"... Controversy spreads
Ongoing 'overcharging' controversies... Concerns over damage to tourism image
Recently, local festivals held across the country have been drawing public criticism due to excessive price gouging. The latest controversy arose when it was revealed that a single bowl of udon was sold for 8,000 won at the Ground Forces Festival in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province. As complaints continue that "the food is poor in quality but expensive," public trust in local festivals is being shaken.
8,000 won for noodles and two pieces of pickled radish..."There should be a limit to price gouging"
An 8,000 won udon sold at the Ground Forces Festival in Gyeryong, Chungnam, was criticized for being poor in quality relative to its price. Online community
On October 26, a review was posted on an online community about udon sold at a food truck during the Ground Forces Festival, held at the Gyeryongdae Airstrip in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province. The writer, identified as A, criticized, "The food truck sells udon and fish cakes. The fish cake is 3,000 won, and the udon is 8,000 won. I can understand the fish cake, but does it make sense for udon-just broth, noodles, and two pieces of pickled radish-to cost 8,000 won?"
In the photo shared by A, the udon noodles are served in a watery broth, with only two pieces of pickled radish as garnish. Considering that even instant udon products sold in stores for around 2,000 won include toppings like bonito flakes, green onions, fried tofu, and seaweed, many pointed out that the festival udon was lacking in value for its price. A expressed frustration, saying, "This is price gouging taken too far. There have already been many controversies about excessive prices lately, but this is just too much. I was embarrassed that I bought this for my child to eat in the cold. Where can I report this?"
After reading A's post, netizens commented, "There should be a limit to price gouging," "This is why I never buy food at festivals," "It's just noodles and broth with no toppings at all," "Going to domestic festivals only ruins your mood," "This is really too much," "I'm embarrassed myself," "With the money spent on domestic travel, you could go to Vietnam twice," "Are people still falling for this? At this point, the people buying are the problem," "It will never change. The only solution is not to go and not to buy anything," and other similar reactions.
Ongoing 'Price Gouging Controversies'
Controversies over price gouging at festivals have been ongoing nationwide. At the recently held Tamna Cultural Festival, a local women's association in Village A, Jeju City, sold "poor-quality gimbap for 4,000 won," which spread online and sparked debate. The gimbap, sold for 4,000 won per roll, contained only seaweed, rice, pickled radish, a thin egg strip, and a few pieces of carrot, as shown in photos. At the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, a 10,000 won chicken gangjeong set was also criticized for containing only a few pieces of dried-out chicken and six or seven broken French fries in the container.
"Trying to make a small profit can be fatal"... President also issues warning
As controversies over overpriced food at local festivals continue, President Lee Jaemyung has also issued a warning. During a cabinet meeting on September 2, President Lee stated, "Trying to make a small profit can deal a fatal blow to the entire local tourism industry," and emphasized, "This is not an issue that can be dismissed by saying, 'It's a capitalist market, so what can you do if someone wants to charge high prices?'" He further stressed, "We need to study this issue and come up with effective countermeasures."
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