Gwangjang Market price-gouging dispute intensifies as vendor, YouTuber trade accusations
A popular YouTuber shares a video claiming she was overcharged at Gwangjang Market in Jongno District, Seoul. Captured from her YouTube channel
A dispute over alleged price gouging at Seoul’s Gwangjang Market has escalated, with a vendor and a popular YouTuber publicly clashing over what happened during a recent visit.
The controversy has renewed scrutiny of long-standing complaints about overpriced food and unfriendly service at the traditional market.
The tension began after the YouTube channel “Weird Sweets Shop,” which has 1.49 million subscribers, posted a video on Tuesday titled “This makes me never want to visit Gwangjang Market again.”
In the clip, the creator criticizes several vendors for what she described as rude service, menu switching and unhygienic food handling. The video topped 4 million views just in two days.
The YouTuber claimed that she ordered an 8,000 won ($6) sundae (pig intestines stuffed with glass noodles) but was instead charged for a 10,000 won “mixed sundae.”
In response, the vendor at the center of the dispute said she feels wronged. Speaking to Channel A reporters at Gwangjang Market on Wednesday, she said, “I asked her if she wanted the meat mixed, and she said yes. After she finished eating and asked for the price, I told her it was 10,000 won. She started swearing and tried to tear me apart.”
The vendor also claimed she ultimately accepted 8,000 won after the YouTuber kept complaining. The Gwangjang Market merchants' association also sided with the vendor, saying it appeared the YouTuber had approached the stall “with intent.”
The YouTuber firmly rejected those claims in a pinned comment posted on Thursday. She said the plate she received matched the standard sundae portion she ordered, not the “mixed sundae” that costs more. She added that no one asked her whether she wanted meat added and denied showing any aggressive behavior.
She also said she paid the full 10,000 won, noting that the amount is recorded in her bank transfer history.
On the merchants association’s suggestion that she acted intentionally, she wrote, “If that is really their official stance, it is very disappointing.”
She stressed, “The video was not meant to single out any individual shop. I wanted to show the reality of how a market frequently visited by foreign tourists is being run.”
She also pointed out hygiene issues at a noodle shop featured in the video. “I saw the cook put leftover noodles from a previous customer’s bowl directly into the pot of boiling water. Anyone would see that as a hygiene problem.”
With the video continuing to spread, local authorities are beginning to step in. Seoul City said it will inspect Gwangjang Market for price practices, customer service and hygiene.
The Jongno District Office also announced plans to introduce a “vendor name-tag system” by the end of the year to improve accountability and rebuild public trust.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.