▲ The scene of stalls at Jinhae Gunhangje Festival and 5,000 KRW Turkish ice cream

As spring arrives and all things breathe in new life, the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, Korea’s most famous cherry blossom festival, reaches its peak in popularity. The 63rd edition of the festival will open on March 29 and run until April 6 this year. Unlike last year, this year’s festival has been scheduled to coincide with the peak of the bloom. It is expected that over 3 million people will visit.

However, the popularity of the festival has led to the formation of a local economy that has been plagued by the issue of overcharging. Last year, the festival faced criticism from the public due to excessive pricing. The government and local authorities have taken action to address the problem of overcharging.

During last year’s festival, complaints from tourists regarding overcharging were severe. According to a report by MBC Gyeongnam two years ago, a food booth the news team visited was selling two fish cakes for 10,000 KRW. The menu board indicated that 6 fish cakes cost 10,000 KRW, however, the seller explained that the price was high because premium fish cakes were used. This issue was not limited to just one shop: the price for a small serving of whole pig barbecue was 40,000 KRW, and a cup of slush was sold for 8,000 KRW, sparking further controversy.

In response, the city of Changwon has strengthened measures to eliminate overcharging. The key measures to be implemented during this year’s festival are as follows: The ‘Three Strike System’ will be introduced; meaning that if a business is caught overcharging three times, it will be shut down immediately, facing a three year ban and will not receive their deposit (ranging from 2 to 7 million KRW). If a vendor is caught once, they will receive a warning; twice, their product will be banned from sale.

A reward system for reporting overcharging and measures to prevent resale have also been put in place. People who report overcharging or resale will receive a reward of 500,000 to 1 million KRW. Vendors caught reselling will be removed from the premises.

Additionally, a ‘Price Overcharging Reporting Center’ and an inspection task force (TF) will be operating during the festival. The center will respond in real time to complaints, while a team of six inspectors, including government officials and price monitors, will conduct ongoing checks to ensure that the weight and prices of products are appropriate. Through these measures, Changwon aims to eliminate overcharging; enhancing the festival’s credibility.

The reason for cessation of overcharging is clear: attracting tourists from the metropolitan area and foreign countries to revitalize the local economy, raising the profile of the festival. This year, a dedicated foreign-language interpretation booth has been set up, which will be run by volunteer interpreters. 150 volunteers were recruited to provide interpretation in English, Japanese, and Chinese, with 50 volunteers for each language.

In Gyeongsangnam-do, the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, along with the Jinju Lantern Festival, is classified as a, “festival with over 1 million visitors.” As a result, the head of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety is directly responsible for managing overcharging prevention during the festival. For festivals with 500,000 to 1 million visitors or more than 10,000 participants, the head of the Gyeongsangnam-do Economic and Trade Bureau acts as the organizer. For festivals with fewer than 500,000 visitors or fewer than 10,000 participants, the vice-mayor of the city or county will oversee operations. Gyeongsangnam-do hosts a total of 123 festivals and 292 events, and authorities are committed to improving festival operations by managing overcharging.

Measures to combat overcharging at the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival are in place. Changwon City Councilor Jeong Soon-wook stated, “This festival is one of the key festivals in Changwon. Transparent operations and systematic management are needed. We will work hard to make it a sustainable festival.” Changwon’s First Deputy Mayor Jang Geum-yong remarked, “We will mobilize all administrative efforts to ensure that the issue of overcharging is completely eradicated during this year’s festival.” With the hopes of the visitors and the support of the government and local authorities, we look forward to seeing the problem of overcharging resolved once and for all.

By Cho Seo-jin, cub-reporter  ellen7026@naver.com

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