Comedian Lee Kyung-sil, who helped launch Wooaran, a new egg brand her son has been involved with, pushed back against backlash over “overpriced eggs,” saying she’s been unfairly painted as obsessed with money.
In a statement on the 19th, Lee said the number stamped on eggs in Korea indicates housing conditions and “isn’t directly tied to quality grade,” adding that Wooaran prices are based on HU (Haugh unit), not the shell code. The clarification came after criticism that the brand’s eggs were labeled with code “4” yet priced in the 15,000 won range. Lee’s point: given the quality, the eggs aren’t overpriced.
As debate escalated, Lee added comments on social media: “People can decide for themselves what to buy. We’re simply trying to produce high-quality eggs even under those circumstances.” When a user brought up ethical consumption, she replied, “Purchase according to your own values. We never tried to force anyone.”
She also shared how the scrutiny has taken a toll: “I teared up reading messages of support. I haven’t slept for days wondering how this happened,” she wrote. “It’s upsetting to be portrayed as money-hungry when I’m just serious about the food we eat.”
In a separate interview, Lee explained, “An acquaintance has researched eggs for years, and after buying from them, I decided to invest. We were just gearing up when this blew up. We haven’t even seen money hit our account, but YouTubers are showing up at farms and putting owners in a tough spot.”
Addressing why her son, Son Bo-seung―currently serving in an auxiliary military role―was listed as “CEO” on the brand’s official site, Lee said, “We registered him before he enlisted as a placeholder for the future; he isn’t involved in this rollout.” She added, “We’re still in the investment phase. No one’s made a profit.”
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)