Gwangyang Maehwa Festival, a representative spring flower festival in South Jeolla Province, is reeling from controversy over "stone-roasted chestnuts" sold at a street stall.
According to Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, on the 17th, a video claiming that stones were mixed in a bag of roasted chestnuts purchased at a street stall near the festival site is spreading quickly through a social networking service (SNS) thread.
The citizen who posted the video said they tried to buy 10,000 won worth of roasted chestnuts with two 6,000-won local gift certificates but were told by the seller there was no change, expressing dissatisfaction with the way business was run.
Online, along with critical voices about the overall festival operations, there is speculation that a promotional bag, with stones placed inside to keep it from blowing away in the wind, may have been mistakenly sold.
Gwangyang City said it confirmed through an investigation that the stall in question was an illegal sales stand operating outside the permitted zone. The city strengthened on-site guidance and enforcement procedures. However, it was reported that it has not been confirmed whether the illegal stall operator intentionally sold "stone-roasted chestnuts."
The city has currently deployed a total of 53 people across five areas—construction, roads, farmland, forests, and food—to conduct detailed inspections. If violations are found, the city will demand corrective action and, if there is no improvement afterward, plans to file complaints or impose strong administrative penalties.
A Gwangyang City official said, "We will verify the facts and take necessary measures so the festival's image is not damaged," adding, "We will also strengthen on-site inspections and enforcement during the remaining festival period to minimize inconvenience for tourists."