Major Discounts on "Hetbahn Rice Plan" Collaborated with Jihweon Jung
Clearing Out Inventory to Replace Packages Featuring His Face
While Jihweon Jung, CEO of the Early Aging Research Institute who sparked the "slow aging" trend, has withdrawn from public activities due to a controversy over his private life, a curious phenomenon has emerged: sales of "Hetbahn Rice Plan," a product launched in collaboration with CJ CheilJedang, are actually increasing.
As of the afternoon of December 29, real-time and daily sales rankings on Naver’s CJ CheilJedang brand store show that the "Hetbahn Rice Plan" products, released in November last year through a collaboration between Jung and CJ CheilJedang, are occupying top positions. This appears to be because CJ CheilJedang is offering discounts on the existing Hetbahn Rice Plan products featuring Jung’s face and name.
Specifically, the best-selling "Hetbahn Rice Plan Whole Grain Rice (130g)" 36-pack is being sold at 29,990 won, approximately a 61% discount from the regular price of 77,400 won. At the discounted rate, each pack of whole grain rice costs about 830 won, which is about 17% cheaper than the "Hetbahn Small Bowl" 36-pack (36,000 won, 1,000 won per pack) that contains only white rice of the same volume.
A notice posted on Naver’s CJ CheilJedang brand store states, "Due to a higher-than-expected volume of orders, shipping and delivery are currently delayed compared to usual."
Maeil Dairies' 'Lentil Low-Sugar Soy Milk' Also Offered at 50% Discount
Maeil Dairies is experiencing a similar situation. The company is selling its "Lentil Low-Sugar Soy Milk" 24-pack, also developed in collaboration with Jung, at a 50% discount on its official online store-from the original price of 38,400 won down to 18,900 won. This product has also climbed to the top of the sales rankings.
Industry insiders attribute this phenomenon to the fact that many consumers value "rational consumption" as much as "ethical consumption," leading to increased product purchases.
Jung, who worked as a professor of geriatrics at Asan Medical Center in Seoul until last year, gained fame from 2023 by promoting the concept of slow aging. However, he recently suffered a major blow to his image after becoming embroiled in an affair scandal with a woman in her 30s who worked as a commissioned researcher. As a result, he stepped down from his position as Seoul’s Chief Health Officer, and his radio program was canceled. Jung filed a complaint against the woman, claiming he was stalked and accusing her of attempted blackmail and trespassing. In response, the woman filed a counter-complaint, accusing Jung of sexual harassment and describing the incident as "gender-based violence arising from a power imbalance."
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