"After Spending 170,000 Won on Hanwoo, This Is What I Got": Why Webtoon Artist Kim Gyusam Decided to Give Cash Instead

Meat With High Fat Content and Packaging Issues Revealed

Some Say "It Could Be Due to the Cut or Vacuum Sealing"

Kyusam Kim, the artist behind popular webtoons such as "Vigilante" and "Cheap Cheonlima Mart," expressed his frustration after revealing the condition of a Korean beef (Hanwoo) gift set he sent to his studio members ahead of the Chuseok holiday. On September 21, Kim posted several photos and a message in the Naver Webtoon community, stating, "I distributed a 169,000 won Hanwoo set as a holiday gift to my studio members, but this is what was delivered."

In the photo released by artist Kyusam Kim, there was meat that appeared to have a significant amount of fat, and some pieces had changed color due to the vacuum packaging being opened. Kim explained, "The recipient had a hard time because the fatty parts that were not edible and the discoloration from the vacuum being released caused problems, leading to situations where they had to notify others." Kyusam Kim SNS

The released photos showed meat that appeared to have a significant amount of fat, along with pieces that had changed color because the vacuum packaging had been broken. Kim explained, "There were inedible lumps of fat, and due to the vacuum being released, the recipients were troubled by the discoloration, leading them to contact me." He also claimed to have experienced inconvenience while inquiring with the seller. Even after purchasing the product through Naver Shopping and trying to contact customer service, he was repeatedly redirected to a chatbot and unable to get proper assistance.

Kim also recalled a scene from his past webtoon series "Cheap Cheonlima Mart." He said, "I suddenly remembered the cash gift set from Cheonlima Mart and laughed to myself," adding, "From now on, instead of sending gifts, I'll just give cash." Online reactions to his post were mixed.

Some commenters said, "Isn't the seller being unreasonable?", "Cash or gift certificates are the best gifts," and "You should get a refund." However, others noted that it is difficult to conclude that there is a problem with the product based on photos alone. Some pointed out that "the brisket cut naturally has a higher fat content," and "it might look different because it was completely thawed." There was also the opinion that as vacuum-packed beef is cut off from oxygen, the color can fade to pale red or even appear purple, meaning that simple discoloration does not necessarily indicate spoilage.

Meanwhile, in a survey conducted by research and data intelligence firm PMI from September 11 to 14 among 1,000 adults nationwide aged 20 to 69 regarding perceptions of the 2026 Chuseok holiday, the most preferred holiday gifts were "cash or gift certificates," accounting for 54.4%. This is 5 percentage points higher than last year's figure of 49.4%.

Among food gifts, fruit and meat remained popular choices. 23.7% of respondents said they preferred fruit gift sets, 23.4% preferred meat gift sets (including Hanwoo and pork), and 22.5% selected health supplement gift sets such as red ginseng and vitamins. The most common answer regarding the amount spent on holiday gifts was "between 100,000 and 290,000 won," with 37.2% selecting this range. A total of 72.7% of respondents expected their Chuseok gift expenditures to be less than 500,000 won. It appears that as high prices persist, consumers are favoring gifts that are more practical and offer better value for money rather than expensive ones.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.