Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival to Eliminate Overcharging Fees

Formation of Joint Inspection Team, Operation of Unfair Fare Reporting Center

Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival, 10,000 Won Price Reduction for Grilled Jeoneo, etc.

Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do announced that it has established a ‘Comprehensive Measures for Festival Price Stabilization’ in preparation for major festivals such as the Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival, Gwangyang Charcoal Grill Festival, and the Jeonnam Provincial Sports Festival, focusing on eradicating overcharging, enforcing price tag display compliance, and stabilizing prices.

This inspection will be conducted as a joint inspection involving six collaborative departments, including the Investment and Economy Division, targeting participating businesses within festival and event venues in the region, as well as nearby restaurants, accommodations, and guesthouses.

[Image provided by Gwangyang-si]

The intensive guidance and inspection period will last for four months from August to the end of November. The key inspection areas include ▲ unauthorized business operations at festival sites ▲ failure to display price tags and charging above the displayed prices ▲ non-compliance with origin labeling ▲ hoarding ▲ hygiene conditions and sale of substandard food products.

In particular, the Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival Promotion Committee will operate a pre-price agreement system, including a 10,000 KRW price reduction at sashimi restaurants for dishes such as raw Jeoneo (gizzard shad), grilled Jeoneo, and Jeoneo course meals, in celebration of the 22nd Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival (August 25?27), taking the lead in creating a festival free from overcharging for tourists participating in the Jeoneo Festival.

Additionally, an unfair pricing report center will be operated to receive reports of unfair commercial practices such as overcharging, and strong measures will be taken after on-site verification.

This measure was prepared in response to recent controversies over overpriced food sold at multiple local festivals, aiming to soothe public anger and restore trust in local festivals.

Lee Hwa-yeop, head of the Investment and Economy Division, said, “With the representative autumn festivals, the Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival and Gwangyang Charcoal Grill Festival, scheduled, it is expected that many citizens and tourists will visit local festival sites, so we will continuously educate to prevent inconveniences such as overcharging.”

He added, “We ask those operating restaurants, accommodations, and guesthouses around the festival sites to cooperate by observing kindness, hygiene, and displayed prices, as if their own family were using the services, to maintain fair commercial order.”

Meanwhile, since January, Gwangyang City has been operating a consumer consultation office and a mobile consumer reporting center, and publishes weekly price trends for personal service fees on the city’s website to provide consumers with rational choices and induce price increase restraint.

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.