Mr. Kang Sung-koo, who is known as the “Confectioner King” for selling old-fashioned sweets in the northern market of Iksan, Jeollabuk-do, strongly criticized a vendor in a traditional market in Yeongyang-gun, North Gyeongsangbuk-do, who was recently accused of using the “catch one” tactic. “It’s a typical foolish, hustling business,” he said.
Mr. Kang posted on his Instagram on the 7th and said, “Don’t lose your initial focus. Lawyers, doctors, judges, prosecutors, and confectioners are number one,” he said. “Even if you don’t have any left, even if you lose money, you have to sell them so that customers will come back next time,” he said, adding, “The price of 5,000 won for 100 grams at the night market in Nyangyang County is a murderous price. Please wake up. You should use it with a simple mind, a simple heart, and a simple mind.” He added, “We will take the lead in eradicating foolish, fraudulent, and inconvenient businesses.”
A screen from KBS 2TV’s “1 Night 2 Days” program.
The day before, Kang posted a scene from KBS 2TV’s “1 Night 2 Days” program메이저놀이터, which aired on April 4, on Instagram. “Thanks to people like this, I always make a killing selling 100 grams for 1,500 won,” he said, criticizing vendors in the antelope market.
The photo posted by Mr. Kang shows the contestants visiting the Nyangyang Mountain Herb Festival and buying old-fashioned sweets. At the time, the unit price of the snacks on the scale was 44,999 won for 100 grams and 68,745 won for a bag of snacks (1.5 kilograms). The vendor told the cast that the total price was 70,000 won, and the cast wanted to cancel the purchase because it was too expensive. However, the vendor handed over the bags, saying that he had already packed them, and the cast bought three bags of snacks for 140,000 won.
After the episode, there were many posts on the program’s message board criticizing the vendor. Viewers claimed that the vendors charge ridiculously high prices to tourists at local festivals and that the county government needs to crack down on them.
In response to the controversy, the Antelope County Government issued a clarification on the 5th, stating, “The vendor in question is an outside vendor who traveled to sell ‘old-fashioned sweets’ during the Antelope Mountain Herb Festival, and has nothing to do with the vendors of the Antelope Traditional Market.” It also said, “The vendors are part of the festival. “The mobile vendors are part of the festival, and it is also the responsibility of the Antelope County to thoroughly manage them so that tourists visiting the festival site can use them with confidence,” he said, adding, “We will take measures to establish commercial order so that the same thing does not happen again and the trust of the public is preserved.”
Program screen of KBS1’s ‘Human Theater’.
Meanwhile, Kang made his name as a confectioner on KBS1’s “Human Theater” program in 2016. He became very popular on the program as he talked to the customers with a pleasant voice and gave them plenty of sweets in a bag. At the time, Kang said, “This is worth 10,000 won. My mom looks like my mother-in-law, so I want to give it to her one more time,” he said, adding, “It’s free to taste,” and encouraged people to come and go.