"Legless Blue Crabs and Even 370,000-Won Snow Crab": Will Sorae Port's Overcharging Controversy Finally End This Time?

[Financial News]  The Sorae Port fish market in Incheon, which has faced repeated controversies over overcharging, product switching and aggressive solicitation, has opened an on-site support center to restore visitors' trust.
Namdong District began operating the Sorae Port On-Site Support Center on the 23rd. The opening ceremony was attended by Park Chan-dae, mayor of Incheon, National Assembly member Maeng Seong-gyu, Namdong District Council Chairman Kim Jae-nam and leaders of the Sorae-area merchants' association.
The center is located on the second floor of Soraepogu Traditional Fish Market. It receives complaints and suggestions from customers using the approximately 600 seafood shops in the area and passes them on to the relevant departments.
Namdong District also plans to establish a standing consultative body with the Sorae-area merchants' association to discuss ways to revitalize the commercial district and reduce illegal and unfair business practices.
Lee Byeong-rae, head of Namdong District, said the center would help restore visitors' trust. He said, "Restoring visitor trust in Sorae Port, a leading tourist destination in the Seoul metropolitan area, is important. Through the center's operations, we will support a transparent culture of commerce."
Park Chan-dae, mayor of Incheon, also said the on-site support center would enable a swift response to consumer complaints. Mayor Park stated, "The Sorae Port On-Site Support Center is an institutional system established to enhance Sorae Port's pride. We will respond immediately to visitors' voices on site so that merchants who make an honest living do not suffer unfair losses."
Ending overcharging at Sorae Port was also the first task in Mayor Park's campaign pledge focused on residents' everyday lives. At the time, candidate Park put forward 'Sorae Port Without Overcharging' as the first pledge in his 'Inhwakhaeng' series.
Candidate Park described Sorae Port as 'Incheon's pride' and pointed out, "The majority of merchants who do business honestly are suffering because of unfair charges and opaque pricing practices by some merchants."
He also promised strong administrative action against unfair pricing. Candidate Park emphasized, "For deliberate and habitual unfair pricing, we will take firm administrative action under a one-strike-out policy, without guidance or warnings."
Since 2023, the Sorae Port fish market has faced criticism from consumers after repeated reports of overcharging, product switching and aggressive solicitation at some businesses.
As the controversy grew, the merchants apologized and pledged to eliminate aggressive solicitation and overcharging. They said, "We will never overcharge customers again," and made deep prostrating bows.
However, controversies over overcharging, product switching and unkind service continued even after the apology.
A post titled 'A Review of Buying Blue Crabs at Unchanged Sorae Port' was later uploaded to an online community. Along with photos of the crabs, the author wrote, "I went from Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to Sorae Port and bought 2 kilograms of female blue crabs for 60,000 won."
The crabs shown in the photos were missing two to five legs each, and one crab had only a single leg remaining.
The author also shared a conversation with the merchant. The author wrote, "The merchant selling these crabs said, 'There has been an uproar in Sorae Port recently over legless crabs, but that has nothing to do with us.' The merchant also said it was unfair because there was no proof that the item shown in the news had been bought at Sorae Port."
The author said they had visited the market because they trusted the merchants' apology. They added, "I was the sucker for believing the merchants' representatives when they apologized with deep bows and promised to change. They said the female blue crabs were packed with roe, but when I boiled them..."
Criticism resurfaced after a YouTube video spread claiming that a customer had been asked to pay 370,000 won for two snow crabs.
As the controversy continued, the merchants' association also sought to improve the market's image by holding events offering free sashimi.

[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter