Busan on Alert Ahead of Festival Over 70,000 Won "Overcharging" for Sea Cucumber

Controversy Over Overcharging at Raw Fish Restaurants in the Past

As the Busan Fireworks Festival approaches this November, some tourist destinations in Busan have sparked controversy over overcharging, prompting local governments to begin preparing countermeasures.

Last year's Busan Fireworks Festival. Photo by Yonhap News

According to online communities on September 3, a well-known raw fish restaurant near Jagalchi Market in Busan recently caused a stir by selling a plate of seafood for 70,000 won. This controversy was also mentioned by President Lee Jaemyung. During a cabinet meeting held at the presidential office in Yongsan on September 2, President Lee stated, "There are stories about price gouging in Busan. I heard something about sea cucumber." He added, "We need to revitalize local tourism, but the biggest obstacle is that some self-employed business owners occasionally cause incidents." He continued, "Unlike in the past, things are now released on YouTube and spread so quickly that it becomes fatal. Is there any way to crack down on overcharging? We need to study this and come up with countermeasures."

As the controversy grew, Jung-gu District in Busan conducted an on-site inspection on the same day and found that the restaurant in question had failed to properly display prices for seafood such as sea cucumber, sea squirt, and octopus, and issued a corrective order.

The sea cucumber dish priced at "70,000 won worth" that sparked an overcharging controversy on online communities. Photo by Yonhap News

Some local governments have come up with their own measures to eradicate overcharging. According to Yonhap News on September 3, Gijang-gun in Busan will distribute leaflets to prevent overcharging at tourist attractions and traditional markets, including Haedong Yonggungsa, starting next week. At Haedong Yonggungsa, a major tourist destination in Gijang-gun, a street vendor recently caused controversy by selling a single fish cake for 3,000 won.

In addition, Gijang-gun plans to cooperate with traditional market merchants' associations, and for shops near Haedong Yonggungsa that do not have their own associations, it will conduct its own campaign.

The merchants' association at Jagalchi Market in Jung-gu, where a similar overcharging controversy had occurred earlier, will also launch a campaign. Four merchant associations-the Fishery Cooperative near the market, Sindonga Market, Jagalbat Merchants' Association, and the Restaurant Business Branch-will take part, with the campaign set to begin on September 5.