Interior Ministry moves to curb price gouging at local festivals

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Interior Ministry moves to curb price gouging at local festivals

Published: 31 Mar. 2025, 17:01 Updated: 31 Mar. 2025, 17:33

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Festivalgoers are seen at the 18th Jeonnong-ro Cherry Blossom Festival in Jeju on March 30. [NEWS1]

As spring festival season gets underway across Korea, complaints are mounting over expensive food sold by pop-up vendors, prompting renewed scrutiny of so-called “festival-only” merchants who are accused of damaging both the public experience and the reputations of local festivals.

One recent example occurred at the 18th Jeonnong-ro Cherry Blossom Festival in Jeju, held from Friday to Sunday.

A local resident posted a photo on social media showing six pieces of stir-fried sundae (Korean blood sausage) with the caption: “25,000 won ($17) for this — okay then.”

A message included in the post, which reads, “Oh my God, I got scammed. What do I do?”

In a phone interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, the writer of the post explained that they counted the pieces of sundae because the quantity seemed too small for the price.

“I didn’t want to cause a scene at the festival, but I felt so disappointed that I thought to myself I wouldn’t come again next year,” the writer said.

The post triggered a wave of similar stories, including complaints about 30,000-won grilled eel and 10,000-won fish cake soup that were said to be poor in both quantity and quality.

Kim Kyung-seok, head of the festival’s organizing committee, said officials intervened after the initial complaint.

“From Saturday morning, we instructed vendors to either lower their prices or provide proper portions,” Kim said. “We also told the booth in question that their practices were harming the credibility of other vendors trying to operate fairly.”

But despite these efforts, authorities admit there are limits to what can be done.

Even festivals with strong oversight have failed to eliminate price gouging by vendors.

A photo of a menu and a bottle of soju posted by a blogger who claims to have been ripped off by a local merchant at the Hwaseong Palace 2023 Environmental Love Festival held in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province from June 8 to 11, 2023. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

At the 24th Gwangyang Maehwa Festival in South Jeolla, held from March 7 to 16 under the slogan of a “Three-No Festival” (no cars, no disposables, no overcharging), vendors still charged 5,000 won for a single fish cake skewer and 15,000 won for a pancake — prices widely seen as excessive given the quality of the offerings.

Last year’s Yeouido Spring Flower Festival in central Seoul also faced similar problems. With up to 800,000 visitors a day, the festival saw 124 cases of fines issued for violations such as price gouging and blocking pedestrian pathways.

“It’s difficult to prevent vendors from entering the festival grounds in the first place, so we mostly take action afterward. Not all fines were related to food pricing,” Seoul Metropolitan Government said in a statement.

A particularly controversial case occurred at the 2023 Suwon Environmental Festival, held June 8 to 11 two years ago. A vendor sold what resembled boiled pork rather than barbecue for 40,000 won, and was criticized for pouring soju into disposable bottles and selling it to minors for 5,000 won. The stall, which was registered in Uijeongbu, was cited as an example of traveling festival vendors tarnishing the reputation of local festivals.

In response to growing public frustration, the Interior Ministry announced a new pricing oversight plan on Feb. 28 to curb unfair business practices at festivals.

The government will work closely with local organizers from the early planning stages to ensure reasonable pricing, mandate clear price signage, and conduct on-site inspections in collaboration with local governments.

Between April and May, 97 regional festivals are scheduled to take place nationwide, including 18 food-focused events that feature local specialties.

Choi Cheol, professor of consumer economics at Sookmyung Women’s University, said that price regulation is inherently difficult at temporary stalls.

“Because these are not permanent businesses, it’s hard to impose strict price controls,” Choi said. “But because such vendors can charge excessive prices or pose hygiene risks, especially with the potential for food poisoning, prior registration and stronger enforcement are necessary.”

BY SON SUNG-BAE, KIM CHANG-YONG [[email protected]]