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🇰🇷 South Korea /Economy & Trade

Sorae Port Fish Market offers 10-don gold event to shed 'rip-off' image

From Hankyoreh · (4m ago) Korean Positive tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Sorae Port Fish Market is launching a 10-don gold prize event to improve its image, which has been tarnished by price gouging and collusion allegations.
  • The event, running until the end of the month, involves a lottery for customers who purchase seafood and authenticate their receipts.
  • New market association president Song Han-woong is implementing measures like receipt verification and fixed pricing to increase transparency and combat unfair practices.

Incheon's Sorae Port Fish Market, long plagued by a reputation for exorbitant prices and alleged price-fixing, is making a concerted effort to clean up its image. The market's merchants' association has initiated a 'Golden Key Seafood Festival,' offering a chance to win 10 don of pure gold to customers who participate in a receipt verification system. This initiative, running until the end of the month, aims to draw visitors back by promising transparency and fair pricing.

Song is striving to make Sorae Port a place that can be visited again.

— an association officialAn official from the merchants' association highlighted President Song's dedication to improving the market's image and attracting customers.

The market's association president, Song Han-woong, who took office recently, is at the forefront of these reforms. He has introduced systems like receipt authentication to ensure transparent transactions and adherence to fixed prices. Song's efforts have not been without resistance; he has reportedly faced threats from fellow merchants for refusing to participate in price-fixing schemes. The Hankyoreh reports that one merchant was even referred to prosecutors for threatening Song with a weapon earlier this year.

We will strive to make Sorae Port a place that can be visited again.

— Song Han-woongThe market association president expressed his determination to rebuild trust and encourage repeat visits to the Sorae Port Fish Market.

Song, who previously ran a business in Seoul's Noryangjin Fish Market and was an early adopter of transparent pricing systems there, stated his commitment to transforming Sorae Port. "We will strive to make Sorae Port a place that can be visited again," he said, emphasizing the need for self-reflection and change within the market. This push for reform is crucial for restoring trust and ensuring the long-term viability of the market, which has suffered significantly from negative publicity.

As the president of the merchants' association, I will continue to make strenuous efforts for self-reflection to create a Sorae Port that people want to visit again.

— Song Han-woongPresident Song reiterated his commitment to ongoing internal reforms aimed at revitalizing the market's reputation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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