Merchants at a popular Seoul market have been under fire for charging for water while serving food, which is not conventional in most South Korean restaurants and eateries.
A Burmese YouTuber named Khaing recently posted a video about her visit to the Gwangjang Market with her Russian friend, ordering food and a bottle of soju at a food vendor. When she asked for water, the owner charged 2,000 won ($1.36), even though most eateries and even vendors provide water for free.
Khaing, who had been living here for 13 years, questioned this unusual practice, to which the merchant said, "It's because there are a lot of foreigners here." When she jokingly said "We're Koreans, too," the merchant said, "We charge Koreans, too."
The 500-mililiter bottle of water provided to the pair did not have a label, and was more expensive than the convenience store price — which is usually under 1,000 won for unlabeled bottles.
She did not complain about the situation, but told local media outlets that the experience was a little confusing, since she never had such situation in Korea before.
Gwangjang Market, the largest and oldest traditional market in Seoul founded in 1905, offers a variety of products and food via its vendors. While it is a popular site for tourists, it has also been subject to criticism for overpricing.
Korean YouTuber Weird Sweets Shop in November posted a video of her buying a dish at 10,000, despite it being priced at 8,000 won.
A week after the video and subsequent public dispute, several merchants complained about her. "Some people can make mistakes when they work," one said. "Is she trying to put us out of business in exchange for her getting famous?" asked another.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
