Sokcho Squid Market Aims to Restore Trust with Transparent Pricing and Friendliness

"No more overcharging and unfriendliness, really."

On the 22nd, the squid market in Dongmyeong-dong, Sokcho City, Gangwon Province, was bustling with tourists eager to taste fresh, seasonal squid from early morning.

The squid market reopened the day before, but the opening day was marked by rain and poor weather.

However, on this day, the rain stopped and the weather was clear, leading to a steady stream of tourists.

The squid market opens in mid-May each year when the squid fishing ban ends.

It starts operating with the sunrise and finishes business around sunset.

Price tags and menus were prominently displayed at each stall.

As customers approached, vendors first explained the prices and sales methods.

The price per squid on this day was 17,000 won.

All stores sold at the same price.

Especially from this year, to eradicate overcharging, each store displays the squid price at its entrance.

According to vendors, the bid price for one 'dureum' (20 squids) on this day was around 290,000 won.

Including fees, the actual purchase price was about 300,000 won, making the bid price per squid about 15,000 won.

Therefore, the actual profit for vendors was not large, around 2,000 won per squid based on this day's prices.

A vendor said, "The Suhyup manages the price of squid at the market, so vendors do not arbitrarily set prices." He added, "The bid price is set every morning, and we sell at that day's market rate."

He continued, "In other places, they might charge a separate table setting fee, but this market operates without any such fees," emphasizing, "There is truly no more overcharging."

Despite it being a weekday, tourists were seen visiting ahead of the Buddha's Birthday holiday.

Tourists browsed in front of the stalls, carefully examining the price tags.

Some were seen taking photos of the squid in the tanks with their mobile phones or directly asking vendors about the market price.

A tourist from Seoul, who was traveling with family, said, "I was worried because of past news reports, but I was relieved because they explained the prices in detail, more than I expected." He added, "With the price tags displayed, it feels more transparent than before."

The market vendors unanimously stated their commitment to regaining trust through this reopening.

Especially after experiencing controversy over unfriendliness last year, they emphasized their determination to shed the negative image of overcharging and unfriendliness this year.

The Suhyup plans to conduct regular training to urge vendors to be friendly and will also monitor the market to ensure there are no instances of overcharging.