Anti-Parasite Medicine Selling Like Hotcakes

On the news that parasite eggs were found in Chinese kimchi on October 21, and not long after the news of lead-contaminated kimchi, people are rushing to pharmacies to buy anti-parasite medicine.

Anti-parasite Medicine: Sold Out–

Mrs. Park (59, Dogok-dong), a housewife, went to a pharmacy to buy anti-parasite medicine upon hearing the news.

She said, “My daughters and husband, who work for companies, must have had the kimchi with parasite eggs since they eat out every day. They took medicines at home after dinner.”

Kim Sang-hyun (31, Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu) also took medicine with coworkers. Kim said, “I thought that taking anti-parasite medicine is no longer necessary these days, but at the news I felt so bad and felt the need to take it. At home, my mother was waiting for me with medicine.”

The sales volume of anti-parasite medicine at pharmacies soared more than three times than usual on October 22 and 23.

A pharmacist, Song Seong-yoon of Seorin pharmacy in Jongno-gu said, “Usually 10 anti-parasite treatments sell per year, but over 10 of them were sold a day. And I plan to order more since I almost ran out of them.”

Marketing for Local Kimchi on the Rise-

With the spread of concern over kimchi quality, kimchi manufacturing and kimchi distributing companies are conducting marketing campaigns in order to retain consumer confidence.

Grand Mart will open a kimchi-making market from early November, about 10 days earlier than last year. Its cabbage sales increased by 20 percent when lead was found in Chinese kimchi. And the amount of kimchi will be increased this time by an additional 10 percent to a total of 72, 000 heads. Cabbages come from Naju in Jeonnam, Gochang in Jeonbuk, and Seosan and Dangjin in Chungnam.

Lotte Mart will begin a large-scale kimchi-making event from mid-November. One million heads of cabbage have been prepared, which is eight times more than last year’s 120,000 heads.

Home Plus has prepared 700,000 heads of cabbage and E Mart has stockpiled one million heads for a special discount event.

Local Kimchi manufacturers are giving tours of kimchi manufacturing plant to customers in order to reassure them.

Dongwon F&B will conduct a kimchi tour marketing promotion with Lotte Department Store. In mid November, VIP customers of the store will be invited to a plant in Jincheon-gun, Chungbuk. They will have the opportunity to make kimchi and receive 10 kilograms of kimchi as a gift.

Jin-Suk Huh syroh@donga.com jameshuh@donga.com