Seoul to introduce measures to curb exorbitant pricing at Gwangjang Market

Social Affairs

Published: 04 Dec. 2023, 16:40

Seoul to introduce measures to curb exorbitant pricing at Gwangjang Market

Gwangjang Market [NEWS1]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is introducing measures to make pricing more transparent at Gwangjang Market, one of Korea's most popular tourist destinations known for its food stalls.

The city government said on Monday that it would require food stalls at the market to indicate the weight of each serving next to the prices on their menu and send officials undercover to enforce compliance.

The measures follow complaints regarding exorbitant pricing at the market's food stalls, as well as small portions.

Opened in 1905, Gwangjang Market used to be known for its affordable food stalls.

The complaints gained attention after a YouTuber shared his dining experience at the market, showing he only got around 10 pieces of small Korean pancakes for 15,000 won ($12).

A YouTuber shows he was served with only around 10 pieces of Korean pancakes for 15,000 won. [SCREENCAPTURE]

In the video, the stall owner demanded the YouTuber to pay for food via wire transfer.

The city is also considering displaying plastic food replicas of the dishes sold at the market so that consumers can see how much food they should be served.

The mandatory display of the menu with prices and plastic food replicas will be introduced in the first half of next year after discussions with the market's merchants' association.

The government-involved consultative body will oversee the pricing adjustment, particularly the percentage of price increase and the timing. It will serve as a watchdog monitoring prices that will review the prices of dishes served at the market in the context of food stalls at nearby markets.

Still, respecting the market economy principle, the governmental offices will not directly intervene in deciding food prices.

The city government will also deploy undercover officials to monitor whether the vendors follow the measures and rules.

A failure to comply with the measures may result in suspension of operations.

Customer service training will be provided to the merchants twice a month. It will remind them not to induce or subtly coerce customers to pay only in cash or wire transfer.

"The city will come up with and push various measures to protect customers and restore their trust and confidence in Gwangjang Market," a city government official said.

"The city will put efforts into making Gwangjang Market a place that its visitors can love and trust."

BY KIM HONG-BUM, LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]