The Seoul Metropolitan Government will conduct a comprehensive inspection of Gwangjang Market, which has faced persistent controversy over price gouging and ice reuse.
Seoul announced Tuesday that it will carry out a full review covering hygiene, commercial practices, and safety to transform Gwangjang Market into a "trusted destination." Working with Jongno-gu, the city plans to focus inspections in May and June before transitioning to a regular monitoring system.
The city will deploy "professional mystery shoppers," including both Korean and foreign participants, to conduct ongoing monitoring of food vendors. Through undercover inspections disguised as customers, authorities will scrutinize price gouging, forced sales tactics, unfair practices targeting foreign visitors, as well as discourtesy and unsanitary conduct. Vendors flagged during inspections will be reassessed to verify whether improvements have been made.
Regulatory reforms aimed at restoring commercial order will also be implemented in parallel. Starting in June, Jongno-gu will introduce a "Gwangjang Market Street Vendor Real-Name System," imposing penalty points based on the number of violations and enforcing administrative measures such as business suspensions or revocation of road occupancy permits. The district will also inspect compliance with price display requirements across 51 business categories, with violations subject to corrective orders and fines.
Hygiene oversight will be strengthened as well. To prevent unsanitary food handling practices such as the recent ice reuse controversy, the city will inspect food preparation, storage, and display practices at 159 food service establishments and 109 food stalls within the market. Serious violations such as the use of expired products will result in strict measures including business suspensions, with follow-up inspections conducted at vulnerable establishments.
On the safety front, fire-prevention inspections will be carried out alongside the broader review. In cooperation with the Jongno Fire Station, authorities will check whether emergency access routes are secured within densely packed sections of the market and verify that fire safety equipment is operational, with the goal of eliminating fire hazards in advance.
"Gwangjang Market is a leading tourist market visited by both domestic and international travelers, so it is essential to create an environment where citizens and tourists can shop with peace of mind," said Lee Hae-sun, head of Seoul's Public Welfare and Labor Bureau. "We will not stop at one-time inspections but will restore trust through ongoing monitoring and regular management."
