Controversy Over Ulleungdo Restaurant: Incident of Serving Pork Shoulder Instead of Pork Belly

A travel YouTuber visiting Ulleungdo raised concerns about the excessive fat content in the pork belly he ordered at a restaurant, which has sparked considerable attention. However, it has come to light that the meat served was not actually pork belly, exacerbating the controversy.

On the 19th, YouTuber 'kkujun', who has about 530,000 subscribers, posted a video on his YouTube channel titled "Is Ulleungdo Really Like This? I Was Quite Surprised on My First Visit."

In the video, kkujun pointed out that he ordered a serving of 120g pork belly for 15,000 won at a restaurant in Ulleungdo, and half of the two pieces of meat provided consisted of fat.

When YouTuber kkujun asked a restaurant staff member whether they deliberately served half fat, the staff explained, "We don’t cut it like mainland meat or sell pork belly as pork belly; we just chop it roughly," adding, "Compared to others, the fat we have is comparatively less. Initially, they refuse, but once grilled, they say it’s delicious."

The Truth Behind the Controversy: Pork Shoulder, Not Pork Belly

After watching the video, netizens expressed their opinions that the meat was not pork belly. One netizen pointed out, "I’ve been running a butcher shop for several years, and it looks like meat with the skin still on," while others asserted, "It's not pork belly but possibly chuck or brisket."

Following this, JTBC's 'Incident Control Room' revealed the truth in an interview with the restaurant owner on the 21st.

The restaurant owner explained, "On the day the YouTuber visited, I went to the hospital, and while I was gone, it seems the staff cut and served the meat that was set aside."

He continued, "It was pork shoulder set aside for stew, and it seems the staff, who was alone, made a mistake. I sincerely apologize. I also apologize to the people of Ulleungdo. It was my fault."

The restaurant owner stated that he had chosen not to respond to comments on YouTube and added that the staff member involved has since resigned and that he could not get in touch with them.

'Incident Control Room' reported that the restaurant raises pigs and butchers them in Ulleungdo, selling normal pork belly, and upon checking restaurant reviews, they found no similar complaints.

The restaurant owner expressed a desire to publicly apologize on the broadcast with his face and name, but the broadcasting company could not accommodate this due to privacy policies.

He stated, "I took pride in the taste of the meat, and it’s all my responsibility," adding, "I’m sorry for causing trouble to the entire Ulleungdo."

The owner also personally contacted the YouTuber to apologize, and the YouTuber conveyed a message hoping that negative impacts do not persist and that travel to small local cities will be revitalized.

Problems in Local Tourist Spots Revealed by Travel YouTuber Videos

Recently, as experiences of travel YouTubers are shared on social media, cases highlighting inconveniences at local tourist spots have been on the rise.

A famous restaurant in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do, faced controversy after responding unfriendly to a solo female customer, leading them to issue an apology.

This incident became known when YouTuber A posted a video titled “Ordered Two Servings Alone But Got Side-Eyed in 20 Minutes” on his channel.

According to the video, despite A ordering two servings under the restaurant’s request that solo dining wasn’t acceptable, they were told things like "You need to eat quickly," "We have more than just one young lady coming here," "If you stay here, time is limitless, isn't it?" and "Two ten-thousand won isn’t that much."

As the controversy grew, Yeosu City visited the restaurant on the 16th to inspect the situation. The restaurant claimed, "The YouTuber filmed without consent, and misunderstandings arose due to his loud voice," but as the controversy did not abate, they affixed an apology note in the establishment stating, "We apologize for causing issues. We will henceforth welcome our guests in a kind and gentle manner."

In a bid to prevent the decline of tourist visits, Yeosu City reportedly sent out public letters urging over 5,000 local restaurant owners to provide friendly service.

Image sources: youtube 'kkujun', jtbc 'Incident Control Room', online community