Rotten Snow Crab Found in Sokcho After Noryangjin... "Paid 250,000 Won but Mold on the Back"

A Visits Sokcho Daepo Port: "250,000 Won Snow Crab Had Mold"
"Portal Site Description and Actual Menu Differed"
Restaurant Says "Not Mold but Black Discoloration... Not Harmful to Health"

Recently, a merchant at the Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul faced social criticism for selling spoiled snow crab to a high school student. A similar incident has occurred in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, sparking controversy on social networking services (SNS).

A tourist who visited Daepo Port in Sokcho, Gangwon Province with their parents claims to have received a "moldy snow crab."
[Photo by Online Community]

On the 31st, a post titled "I experienced the Noryangjin snow crab incident in Sokcho" was uploaded to an online community. The author, Mr. A, said, "Today (the 31st), I went to Sokcho with my parents to watch the sunrise," adding, "We decided to eat snow crab after a long time and went to Daepohang. Someone on the first floor trying to attract customers said, 'If there are three people, two snow crabs are appropriate.' When I asked about the price, they said it was 250,000 won and that other restaurants sell the same set for 270,000 to 280,000 won, so they invited us to their restaurant."

Mr. A's family entered the restaurant, but they noticed many strange things. The restaurant's introduction on a portal site listed the 'B Course' menu as including '2 snow crabs,' but the actual menu showed '1 snow crab and 2 red crabs.' When Mr. A asked the restaurant again to confirm the menu, the actual items served were 1 snow crab and 2 red crabs.

After receiving the menu, Mr. A raised the issue, saying, "This is different from what was said." The restaurant said they would check and promised to replace it with 2 snow crabs. However, during this process, Mr. A and his party had to wait an additional 30 minutes, and Mr. A had to protest once more.

A tourist who visited Daepo Port in Sokcho, Gangwon Province with their parents claims to have received a "moldy snow crab."
[Photo by Online Community]

About 10 minutes later, while eating the two snow crabs served at the table, Mr. A was shocked to see black stains on the underside. He said, "The top part looked fine, so I ate about one-third, but when I looked at the underside, it was covered with mold." He added, "I was very unpleasant and angry, but I didn't want to ruin the year-end trip with my parents, so I paid and left. I don't think I will come back to Sokcho again. It's frustrating that even after the rotten snow crab incident in Noryangjin, places like this continue to operate."

The restaurant claimed that the black discoloration was caused by "undercooked crab meeting oxygen," referring to it as the 'blackening phenomenon.' They explained that after steaming live snow crabs, they clean and reheat them, and the color change occurred because the crab was undercooked and exposed to air.

The blackening phenomenon refers to the darkening caused by hemocyanin, a component in snow crab blood, reacting with oxygen. This occurs when ▲crabs are left at refrigerated or room temperature, ▲frozen crabs are slowly thawed at room temperature, or ▲undercooked crabs are left at room temperature. This color change only affects appearance and does not impact taste or pose any health risks, so it is safe to eat.

Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "Sokcho is a tourist area, so the price gouging is severe," "Those who mess with food will be punished," "They must have known the condition before serving it to customers. Even if it takes longer, they should have served fresh snow crabs," and "How much do they take customers for granted?"

A vendor at Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul caused controversy by selling spoiled snow crab to a high school student.
[Photo by Online Community]

Earlier, last month, a merchant at the Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul was accused of selling rotten snow crab legs to a high school student, causing public outrage. The business has suspended operations since the 25th, and the Merchant Disciplinary Committee is investigating the circumstances under which the crab was sold.

A representative from the Suhyup Noryangjin Fish Market told the media, "We have suspended operations until the disciplinary committee decides the level of punishment," adding, "We began a full investigation today and will take additional measures based on the facts." The merchant reportedly claimed to the disciplinary committee that "a part-time worker sold the displayed items as they were."

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