Comedian Kim Soo-young blocks questions about the origin of his pickled crab? "We are wronged by the misunderstanding, and it hurts," he says [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Comedian Kim Soo-young was embroiled in controversy over "blocking inquiries about country of origin" after conducting a live broadcast selling pickled crab.

Previously, on the 19th, a post appeared on social media claiming, "I happened to see a live stream on YouTube where a former KBS comedian sells pickled crab. It looked delicious, so I was about to order, but when I asked, 'Is it domestically produced or Chinese-made?' I was immediately blocked from the chat."

The author also stated, "When I went into the sales link, there were similar inquiry posts," adding, "It said, 'Why are you blocking me just for asking a question? If it is (domestic), say yes; if not, say no.' They expressed their bewilderment.

This was a critical post regarding products such as soy sauce pickled crab and seasoned pickled crab in which Kim Soo-young participated in operations.

According to the product details, the company's soy sauce pickled crab consisted of 34% blue swimmer crabs and 66% sauce. While the blue swimmer crabs were domestically produced, the sauce was imported, and the origin of the amino acid liquid used in the sauce was listed as India, the United States, China, and others. The seasoned pickled crab consisted of 50% blue swimmer crabs and 50% sauce; similarly, the crabs were domestic while the sauce was imported. The chili peppers used in the seasoning were recorded as being from China.

When the controversy arose, the company explained, "In last week's live broadcast, we honestly told viewers that our red pepper powder is Chinese-made. We are selling the product with proper labeling of raw material names and country of origin." They added, "However, it seems the incident started after malicious comments emerged following the broadcast, claiming that Chinese products must be unconditionally filtered out."

They continued, "Of course, it is only natural for customers to be curious about and verify the country of origin," stating, "We also believe it is right to answer customers' questions accurately. However, it is truly painful and overwhelming when you listen only to one side and unilaterally criticize us without even asking what explanation we gave or what the situation was. We are not claiming that we did everything perfectly. If there were any mistakes, we will humbly accept them and improve. But being misunderstood as if we were hiding or deceiving something, despite honestly disclosing and selling based on the country of origin, is incredibly wronged and heartbreaking."

They also pleaded, "We earnestly ask our customers: rather than judging by listening to only one side, please first ask for the other party's story," emphasizing again, "We did not start this business with the intention of deceiving customers from the beginning. We are striving to transparently guide customers on country of origin and raw materials, so that we do not feel ashamed toward those who trust us and make purchases."

Meanwhile, Kim Soo-young debuted as a KBS public recruitment 26th-generation comedian in 2011. He married Heo Su-yang, who is eight years his junior, in 2022.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original