1. Introduction to the text
This reading lesson discusses a recent incident in Busan, where a seafood restaurant was found to be overcharging customers for dishes like sea cucumber. The local government took action to investigate the restaurant and impose fines for violations.
2. Vocabulary
| Korean Word | Romanization | English Meaning | Contextual Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 횟집 | hwitjib | seafood restaurant | The incident happened at a seafood restaurant in Busan. |
| 해삼 | haeseom | sea cucumber | The restaurant was found to be overcharging for sea cucumber dishes. |
| 바가지 | bagaji | overcharging | The restaurant was accused of “bagaji” or overcharging customers. |
| 단속 | danseog | inspection, crackdown | The local government conducted an inspection and crackdown on the restaurant. |
| 시정명령 | sijeongnmyeong | corrective order | The authorities issued a corrective order to the restaurant to address the violations. |
| 과태료 | gwataeyo | fine | The restaurant was also fined a total of 600,000 won for the violations. |
| 공분 | gongbun | public outrage | The news of the overcharging sparked public outrage. |
| 화제 | hwaje | topic of discussion | The incident became a major topic of discussion after the President mentioned it. |
3. The main text in both Korean and English
부산의 한 유명 횟집에서 해삼 한 접시를 7만 원에 판매했다는 사실이 알려지자, 관할 지자체가 단속에 나섰습니다.
The news that a famous seafood restaurant in Busan was selling a single plate of sea cucumber for 70,000 won prompted the local authorities to conduct an inspection.
부산 중구는 자갈치 시장 인근 한 횟집을 현장 점검해, 해당 업체가 해삼은 물론 멍게, 낙지 등에 가격 표시를 제대로 하지 않은 것을 적발했습니다.
The Busan Jung-gu district inspected a seafood restaurant near the Jagalchi Market and found that the business had failed to properly display the prices for sea cucumber, sea squirt, and octopus.
이에 따라 당국은 해당 업체에 시정명령을 내렸고, 영업주와 종업원의 보건증 유효기간이 지난 사실도 확인해 식품위생법 위반으로 과태료 총 60만 원을 부과했습니다.
As a result, the authorities issued a corrective order to the business and also fined the owner and employees a total of 600,000 won for violating food hygiene regulations, as their health certificates had expired.
앞서 지난달 29일 한 온라인 커뮤니티에는 부산의 한 횟집에서 ‘시가’로 표시된 해삼 한 접시가 7만 원이었다는 사연이 올라와 공분이 일었습니다.
Previously, on October 29, a post on an online community about a Busan seafood restaurant charging 70,000 won for a plate of sea cucumber labeled as the “market price” had sparked public outrage.
글 작성자는 카드지갑 크기와 비슷한 용기에 담겨 있는 해삼 사진을 올리면서 “말문이 막혔다” “평소 횟집에서 서비스로 주는 정도의 양인데 7만 원을 받았다”고 적었습니다.
The author of the post shared a photo of the sea cucumber, which was served in a container about the size of a wallet, and wrote that they were “speechless” and that the portion was “about the same as what restaurants usually provide for free, but they charged 70,000 won for it.”
이같은 소식을 접한 이재명 대통령이 오늘 국무회의에서 직접 해당 사건을 언급하면서 더욱 화제가 됐습니다.
When President Lee Jae-myung mentioned this incident during the Cabinet meeting today, the news became an even bigger topic of discussion.
4. Reading comprehension questions
- What was the main issue that prompted the local authorities to conduct an inspection of the seafood restaurant in Busan?
- What specific violations did the authorities find during their inspection of the restaurant?
- What actions did the authorities take against the restaurant as a result of the violations they found?
- How did the public initially react to the news of the seafood restaurant overcharging for a plate of sea cucumber?
- How did the involvement of the President further amplify the attention on this incident?
5. Cultural and historical notes
Seafood restaurants, particularly those located in coastal cities like Busan, are an important part of Korean culinary culture. The incident highlighted the need for stronger regulations and oversight to prevent businesses from taking advantage of customers through excessive pricing. It also sparked a broader discussion about consumer protection and the responsibilities of businesses in the food service industry.