"This Has Never Happened to Me in Korea"... Gwangjang Market Stall That Charged 2,000 Won for Water Suspended for 3 Days

Vendors' Association: "We Will Sell at Reasonable Prices"

A street vendor at Gwangjang Market, who sparked controversy for overcharging by selling a bottle of water to a customer for 2,000 won, has been suspended from operating.

According to Yonhap News Agency on April 24, the vendor in question suspended business operations for three days, from April 22 to the date of this report, in accordance with a disciplinary decision by the Gwangjang Market Street Vendors Association.

Street vendor who caused controversy by selling water for a fee at Gwangjang Market. YouTube channel 'Kaing'

The incident began with a video uploaded on April 16 by 'Kaing,' a YouTuber from Myanmar who has lived in Korea for 13 years. In the video, the YouTuber visited the stall with a Russian friend, ordered dishes such as dumplings and japchae, and then asked, "Do you have water?" The vendor replied, "2,000 won," demanding an additional payment for water.

The YouTuber, who found it unusual to be charged separately for water at a Korean restaurant, remarked, "This is my first time seeing water being sold at a (restaurant) in Korea." The vendor responded, "It's because there are many foreigners." As the video spread, online users criticized this as a clear case of price gouging targeting foreign tourists.

As the controversy intensified, the association explained, "Since these are street stalls, some places buy 1.8-liter bottled water and pour it into cups. Some foreigners misunderstood this as leftover water." The association added, "Since street vendors are private business owners, we cannot set a uniform selling price, but we expect that this incident will prompt vendors to sell at reasonable prices going forward."

Meanwhile, Gwangjang Market has established itself as a major destination for international tourists, but disputes over pricing and service persist. In November of last year, another YouTuber ordered sundae for 8,000 won at Gwangjang Market, but the vendor arbitrarily mixed in meat and charged 10,000 won. Afterward, the association imposed a business suspension on that vendor as well, but a month later, yet another YouTuber uploaded a video comparing Gwangjang Market and Gyeongdong Market, reigniting debates over pricing and portion sizes.

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