This article was displayed on the ChosunBizRMReport site at 2:06 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2025.
After Jeong Hee-won, head of the Slow Aging Research Institute, who led the "slow aging" craze, stepped down as an advertising model over a personal-life controversy, related corporations are selling their collaboration products at steep discounts. As even a "price reversal" has emerged, with products once viewed as premium health foods now cheaper than regular items, consumers are saying "this is actually a buying opportunity."
According to the retail industry on the 29th, CJ CheilJedang is selling a 36-pack of whole grain rice (130g) on its own mall for 29,990 won. That is a 61% discount from the regular price of 77,400 won. Based on the discounted price, the whole grain rice costs about 830 won per pack, which is 17% cheaper than a 36-pack of Hetbahn Small Bowl containing only white rice of the same size (36,000 won, 1,000 won per pack).
Whole grain rice, made with unrefined whole grains, has been known as a premium health food that raises blood sugar slowly and is advantageous for weight control. It is unusual for this product to be sold at a lower price than regular products.
A 12-pack of the company's farro whole grain rice is also being sold for 15,300 won, a 63% discount from the previous 41,900 won. The product is trading on open markets in the 22,000–31,000 won range. Typically, open markets, where many sellers compete on price, are often cheaper than a company's own mall. But as the in-house mall's discount deepened, the price has fallen below open market levels.
Other companies are in a similar situation. Maeil Dairies Co. is selling a 24-pack of lentil low-sugar soy milk on its own mall for 18,900 won, a 50% discount from 38,400 won. The products with the biggest discounts are all collaboration items in which Jeong took part as an advertising model.
While serving as a geriatric medicine professor at Asan Medical Center, Jeong drew attention by popularizing the so-called "slow aging" concept, which holds that the pace of aging can be slowed. On that momentum, the food industry rolled out various products in collaboration with Jeong.
CJ CheilJedang introduced Hetbahn Rice Plan products such as farro rice using recipes from Jeong's slow diet. Maeil Dairies Co. launched the Maeil Soy Milk Lentil product. In addition, Doobo Food released slow aging customized grains, and Kurly rolled out related meal kits.
However, after Jeong and a woman engaged in a dispute over stalking and sexual violence, corporations halted the collaborations. CJ CheilJedang decided on the 22nd to replace the Rice Plan packaging that included Jeong's name and photo.
Maeil Dairies Co. also deleted all phrases related to Jeong from promotional materials for the lentil soy milk. It has been confirmed that Doobo Food took down from online sales platforms all "slow aging customized grain" products that it had released with Jeong in Aug. last year.
After the collaborations ended, related companies moved to aggressive price cuts. The view is that they aim to clear inventory. Consumers reacted quickly. Related products from CJ CheilJedang and Maeil Dairies Co. ranked high in popularity on their own malls.
Popularity is an index calculated by combining clicks, purchase conversion rate, and other factors. A notice on CJ CheilJedang's own mall now reads that "shipping and delivery are being delayed due to more orders than expected."
Consumers appear to be focusing more on the chance to buy products cheaply than on the controversy surrounding Jeong. An office worker surnamed Yun, 39, said, "On the 27th, I bought a product that had a regular price of 77,400 won for 29,900 won after a 67% discount," adding, "I had been interested because my blood sugar is usually high, but hesitated due to the price. I took the opportunity to get it."
Consumer reviews also say, "What fault does the rice have?" "I bought it at a discount," and "It's good to buy in advance when it's cheap."
However, the industry is cautious about overinterpreting the discounts. A Maeil Dairies Co. official said, "The contract with Professor Jeong Hee-won runs through this year and is currently at its expiration," adding, "Online mall discounts are being applied not only to the model collaboration products but also to some soy milk items, and the discount rates continue to change depending on the season and situation. The discounts are unrelated to this controversy."
At a regular briefing that day, a Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official said it is currently investigating the cross-complaints between Jeong and a former commissioned researcher according to procedure.