[Anchor]
Restaurants that charge rip-off prices will now face business suspension even upon their first violation. While the penalties may look strict on the surface, critics point out that it is a half-baked measure.
Reporter Han Sung-hee looks into why.
[Reporter]
Gwangjang Market in Seoul is frequently visited by foreigners.
Despite it being a rainy weekday morning, it is bustling with tourists.
Controversy over overcharging has arisen here multiple times.
[Is there water? How much is it? (It is 2,000 won.)]
This refers to selling items not listed on the price board or charging prices higher than the listed rates.
[Daiki Fukui / Foreign Tourist: If a store charges like that (absurdly high), I suppose I would have no choice but to go elsewhere.]
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has tightened administrative dispositions to eradicate overcharging.
Previously, the first offense for overcharging resulted only in a corrective order, but starting yesterday (September 1st), violators immediately face a business suspension.
A first violation carries a 5-day suspension, a second violation 10 days, and a third violation 20 days.
The targets are 960,000 restaurants nationwide, including general restaurants, snack bars, and fast-food chains.
However, street stalls are not subject to business suspensions because they are not recognized as business operators under the Food Sanitation Act.
Even within the same market, restaurants officially licensed as food service establishments are subject to sanctions, whereas street stalls are not.
[Restaurant Owner: What is the point of that (suspending business)? Not a single case of that has come out from actual shops; it only came from street stalls...]
[Lee Sung-bok / Street Stall Owner: Since there has been so much controversy over rip-off prices, all the (street stall) merchants are making efforts among themselves...]
Even in cases where customers are charged more by having items added to their ordered menu without consent, or when prices are set exorbitantly higher than other stores from the outset, they are excluded from sanctions as long as the prices are displayed on the menu board, leaving authorities reliant on self-disciplinary measures by merchant associations.
(Video reporting: Lee Byung-joo, Video editing: Park Na-young)
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