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Seoul’s landmark tourist destination, Gwangjang Market, is once again mired in controversy. A recent incident in which staff allegedly reused ice from a trash bin shocked the public, and although the district office fined the vendor, critics argue the punishment was too lenient.
On the 12th, Jongno District officials said they inspected Restaurant A inside Gwangjang Market on May 2, found violations of the Food Sanitation Act, and imposed a total fine of 1.5 million KRW (about $1,125). The case began after media circulated footage showing a restaurant employee pulling a disposable cup with leftover ice from a trash bin, roughly rinsing it with water, and placing it into a box that had contained fish innards. Public outrage increased after reports said the employee, wearing the same gloves used to dig through the trash, continued preparing food.
Jongno District levied 1 million KRW (about $750) for violations of food-handling hygiene and 500,000 KRW (about $375) for failing to keep cooking equipment clean. Officials did not invoke the provision that allows business suspension for “reusing food.”
A Jongno District official said regulators at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety advised that the “ban on reusing food” was not applicable because the restaurant did not resell food previously served to customers but used items taken from outside the premises. Instead of a government-ordered suspension, the market’s management company has ordered the restaurant to suspend operations for three weeks.
This is not the market’s first scandal. Since last year, persistent complaints about aggressive sales tactics have circulated on YouTube and social media. Tourists have accused vendors of “price gouging,” such as charging 15,000 KRW (about $11.25) for an assortment of pancakes delivered in meager portions, slipping unrequested items onto bills, or substituting cheaper ingredients in menu items. The long-standing practice of steering tourists toward cash or bank-transfer payments has also damaged the market’s reputation.
In contrast to recent trends of younger Japanese travelers queuing at traditional markets to seek “authentic local culture,” Gwangjang Market is facing a backlash for appearing overly commercialized. As criticism mounted, Seoul city officials and the merchants’ association proposed measures such as mandatory portion labeling and the use of mystery shoppers, but inspectors and consumer advocates say hygiene lapses and deceptive sales tactics remain widespread. Jongno District says it will expand hygiene inspections of market eateries in response to the incident.
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