"Another Wave of Price Gouging"... Gwangjang Market Sparks Outrage for Charging Foreigners 2,000 Won for Bottled Water

A Myanmar Resident of 13 Years in Korea Reports Incident

Vendor Excuses: "It's Because There Are Many Foreigners"

Previously, Gwangjang Market in Seoul, which had already dealt with controversy over "price gouging," has once again come under fire after being spotted selling bottled water to foreigners for a fee.

JTBC 'Case Manager' Broadcast Screen Capture

According to JTBC's "Case Manager" broadcast on April 18, a Myanmar national identified as Mr. A, who has lived in Korea for 13 years, visited Gwangjang Market last week with a Russian friend. There, he purchased a 500mL bottle of water with no label for 2,000 won.

Mr. A stopped at a street vendor, ordered dumplings, japchae, and a bottle of soju, and asked the vendor, "Do you have water?" The vendor replied that he would have to buy it, and when asked the price, said, "2,000 won." The informant and his friend bought the water and pointed out to the vendor, "This is the first time we've seen water being sold at a (Korean) restaurant."

The vendor responded, "That's because there are a lot of foreigners (at Gwangjang Market)." When Mr. A laughed and said, "We are also Korean," the vendor replied, "We sell it to Koreans as well."

Mr. A told "Case Manager," "I can understand selling water, but it was honestly a bit surprising because it was the first time I experienced a restaurant or street stall charging separately for water."

Viewers who watched the video expressed outrage, posting comments such as, "Are they going to start charging for spoons and chopsticks next?", "Are public officials just sitting by and doing nothing?", and "That’s not a vendor, that’s a scammer." Such strong reactions have arisen because Gwangjang Market has already faced multiple controversies over price gouging in the past.

In November last year, a YouTuber with 1.6 million subscribers released a video showing a dispute with a vendor at Gwangjang Market after ordering a dish of sundae for 8,000 won, only to be asked to pay 10,000 won. When the YouTuber questioned the price, the vendor replied, "I mixed it with meat," to which the YouTuber countered, "I never asked you to mix meat and sundae."

Afterward, the vendor association imposed a business suspension on that particular street stall. However, a month later, another YouTuber uploaded a video comparing Gwangjang Market and Gyeongdong Market, further fueling debate over prices and portion sizes.

Gwangjang Market is divided into two areas: "Gwangjang Market" and "Gwangjang Traditional Market," each managed by a separate vendor association. The main Gwangjang Market area centers around the three-story building constructed in 1956 by Gwangjang Co., Ltd., stretching to the West Gate of the market. This area is home to around 200 general shops, including restaurants, clothing stores, bedding shops, and traditional craft stores. Vendors in this section belong to the Gwangjang Market General Merchants Association.

The Street Vendors Association consists of vendors operating about 250 stalls in the "Gwangjang Traditional Market" area, from the Food Alley to the East Gate. The price gouging controversies have mainly involved street stalls in the Gwangjang Traditional Market.

Lee Taejun, head of the Gwangjang Market Merchants Association, stated in an interview with a media outlet, "We are continuously conducting education and campaigns for vendors to improve issues such as price gouging, encouraging cash payments, and hygiene concerns. We also meet individually with vendors to persuade them." He added, "It would be ideal if all the highlighted issues could be reduced to zero, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. We will continue to make ongoing efforts."

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has also strengthened crackdowns on price gouging at Gwangjang Market, reportedly conducting undercover patrols in areas with high tourist traffic to focus on price displays and unfair practices. In addition, a "Price Gouging Report QR" service is in operation, allowing tourists to immediately report unfair charges at restaurants, accommodations, and other facilities.

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