Amid controversy that griddled squid was being sold at rip-off prices at a market in Seogwipo, Jeju, the Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market merchants association filed a police complaint against the person who posted what it said was a false post on an online community.
On the 6th, the Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market merchants association said, "On the afternoon of the 5th, we visited Seogwipo Police Station and submitted a complaint against the author of the false post on charges including violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection and obstruction of business."
In the complaint, the association was said to have stated, "While traveling in Jeju, the accused purchased griddled squid at Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market and posted on an internet site, along with a photo of the product left over after the person had eaten it, a false claim to the effect that merchants siphoned off contents and sold it." It said the false post made the general public misunderstand that Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market engages in rip-off sales, thereby defaming them.
It also argued that after the price-gouging controversy, merchants selling griddled squid suffered significant business damage, including a 60% drop in sales.
The association said, "The author of the false post did not apologize or take any action at all, which ultimately led us to file a complaint."
The controversy began with a post a netizen uploaded to an online community. On the 20th of last month, the person claimed, "I ordered a medium-sized griddled squid for 15,000 won, but when I got to the lodging, it seemed they had given only half," adding, "This was not taken after eating. They even did a fire show to draw attention and siphoned off (part of it)."
Through a press release, the association provided media outlets with actual sales photos and refuted, "That is not true." As questions arose over the authenticity of the post, the netizen deleted the post from the online community.