“And instead of regular Styrofoam, you used special insulation for the packaging, so the temperature was perfectly maintained. I was wondering if you were only using this company once or if you intended to keep using them.”
I felt truly grateful to CEO Yoon.
“Ah, that’s our exclusive delivery partner. We’ll keep using them, so don’t worry.”
“That’s a relief. The meat is already great, but if the delivery is this perfect, we couldn’t ask for anything more. Then, can we start next month? We’re planning a soft opening for our first location next month.”
“Yes, I’ll make sure to have everything ready without any delays.”
“It’s a bit far, but please stop by before the opening. I’d like to treat you to a meal.”
“Yes, I’ll see you soon to give you a proper greeting.”
I stood there blankly for a while after hanging up the phone. Min-jae asked cautiously.
“Brother… what was that about? It’s Chef Kang Min-seok, right?”
“Min-jae… it’s three more locations in Busan.”
“Huh? Three locations? I thought it was just one?”
“Yeah. He says he’s opening three under one brand at the same time. Premium Hanwoo dining targeting Japanese tourists.”
Ji-eun dropped the box she was packing, her mouth hanging open in shock. Min-jae stood up, pumped his fist, and shouted.
“Whoa! Brother! We’re going national now!”
“National? How is this national?”
“If it’s Seoul and Busan, it’s national!”
Ji-eun clapped her hands and chimed in.
“He’s right, Boss! Let’s just act like we’re national for the mood. Does that mean a pork belly party today?”
“Huh? Oh… sure.”
“But Wagyu is really famous in Japan, isn’t it? Do Japanese people really come all the way to Korea to eat Hanwoo?”
When Ji-eun asked curiously, Min-jae nodded as well.
“She’s right, I was wondering that too. Wagyu is world-famous.”
“Well… it would take three days and four nights to explain Wagyu properly.”
I explained with a smile.
“To put it simply, Wagyu is definitely delicious. The marbling is incredibly dense, and that melt-in-your-mouth texture is top-notch. But the price is insane.”
“How expensive is it?” Ji-eun asked.
“In Japan, even if you buy A5-grade Wagyu at a butcher shop, it’s about 20,000 to 30,000 won per 100 grams in our currency. But some of the top-tier brands sold at auctions can cost hundreds of thousands of won for just 100 grams.”
Min-jae’s jaw dropped.
“Hundreds of thousands? For 100 grams?”
“Yeah. Special Wagyu from famous farms is truly astronomical. Even Japanese people usually only buy it for special occasions or as expensive gifts.”
“Whoa…”
Ji-eun nodded. “Then, is Hanwoo cheap?”
“Hanwoo isn’t exactly cheap, either. But compared to Wagyu, it’s on the more affordable side.”
“How’s the taste?”
“Hanwoo has its own unique, savory flavor. The marbling might not be as dense as Wagyu, but the aged Hanwoo we sell has a much deeper umami profile.”
“Ah, so our meat has much better value!”
“Exactly. From a Japanese person’s perspective, they can experience a similar taste for half the price. Plus, since it’s a tourist destination, they open their wallets more easily.”
“So that’s why Chef Kang Min-seok is targeting that market!” Ji-eun marveled.
Just then, Min-jae looked up.
“Brother, Choi Jin-woo is coming this afternoon, right?”
“Yeah, he’s supposed to be here at 3:00 PM.”
“Is there anything we need to prepare?”
“Not much. Just do what you usually do.”
But internally, I was starting to feel a bit nervous—just like the day of my first broadcast in the future I came from.
***
At exactly 3:00 PM, Choi Jin-woo arrived.
He came with simple filming equipment, more modest than I expected. Min-jae and Ji-eun stopped packing boxes and watched curiously.
“Whoa, a real YouTuber,” Ji-eun whispered softly. Min-jae signaled for her to be quiet.
While setting up the camera, Choi Jin-woo asked, “Boss, have you thought about today’s topic?”
In my heart, the strategy was already complete. I had to target Park Jung-nam and Mega Meat while avoiding legal issues, and at the same time, pique his interest. It was a move like threatening the opponent’s king in chess while protecting my own pieces.
“I’m thinking of talking about how some companies mix their meats.”
“Oh, that’s a good topic. I think it’ll really grab people’s attention.”
Choi Jin-woo’s eyes sparkled. He knew that the more provocative it was, the more it would help his view count. But I didn’t just want to grab the public’s attention. I wanted to catch someone else’s attention too.
“I’ll start when you’re ready.”
“Okay.”
Choi Jin-woo started counting down with his hand. 3, 2, 1…
The camera began to roll.
In that moment, memories from the year 2157 flooded in. The experiences of presenting and interviewing in front of countless cameras returned like muscle memory.
“Hello, everyone. Today, we’re here with Jun-ho, the owner of Jun-ho’s Butcher Shop, to hear some hidden stories of the meat industry. Boss, what topic will you be sharing with us today?”
“Today, I’d like to talk about the reality of how some businesses mix and sell meat.”
As I spoke, calculations were running quickly through my head. How much I could say, what expressions to use to avoid legal trouble, and how Park Jung-nam would react when he saw this video.
“What do you mean by ‘mixing meat’?”
“For example, with beef, they might mix Grade 1 and Grade 2 and sell it all at the Grade 1 price. It’s the same for pork.”
Choi Jin-woo looked surprised. However, his expression seemed more like a performance for the viewers than genuine shock.
“Does that really happen often?”
“There are many ways to mix them. Doesn’t the fact that there are so many methods suggest that it’s been happening a lot?”
Choi Jin-woo nodded in agreement.
“I see. Then, I’m curious—specifically, what kind of methods are there?”
Choi Jin-woo looked intrigued. From a content creator’s perspective, he clearly calculated that such provocative content would draw in viewers. I had to find a balance that met his expectations while achieving my goal.
“The grade mixing I just mentioned is the first way. Another is buying lower-grade meat or frozen meat, mixing it, and then packaging and selling it as high-grade refrigerated meat.”
“What else?”
“There’s also mixing different cuts. When supplying to places like school cafeterias, they might arbitrarily mix in different cuts than what was ordered. For instance, if sirloin was ordered, they might mix in cheaper cuts.”
“Whoa…”
“But above all, the most common is mixing the country of origin. Just like mixing domestic chili flakes with Chinese ones and selling them as 100% domestic, they mix imported meat with domestic meat and sell it as domestic.”
To one side, Min-jae and Ji-eun stopped their packing and listened intently.
“Wow, there really are so many different ways…”
“That’s why we need to look more closely.”
“Can consumers tell the difference?”
“It’s difficult. If it’s ground up or seasoned, it’s even harder to distinguish. That’s why consumers look for brands.”
“Brands… because they can be trusted?”
“Right. There’s an expectation that a large company wouldn’t cheat. In fact, large companies do tend to have thorough quality control.”
I paused for a moment and then continued carefully.
“But actually… larger companies could be even more devious, depending on the mindset of the person running the company.”
“How so?”
A hint of tension crept into Choi Jin-woo’s voice. He seemed to have vaguely sensed where my intentions were heading.
“Because the system is complex, it’s easy to diffuse responsibility. For example, the farm does its thing, the distributor does its thing, and the final sale is by another company… If you divide it into stages like this, they can claim it wasn’t their fault even if a problem occurs.”
“Ah…”
“Large companies that receive supplies in bulk are especially prone to this. Since the volume is so massive, they can use the excuse that it’s difficult to check everything individually.”
Choi Jin-woo looked slightly uncomfortable.
“Um… But Boss, are you perhaps referring to a specific company?”
“No, I’m speaking generally. If such a company actually exists, they should be utterly ruined.”
I answered with a smile, but everything was going according to plan. It was a perfect angle to target Mega Meat without mentioning them directly.
Park Jung-nam will definitely watch this broadcast or hear about it from someone. One of his employees will be monitoring it and reporting back. Every time that happens, Park Jung-nam will realize bit by bit that I have a precise grasp of their system.
This was the first step: making Park Jung-nam anxious. Making him wonder, ‘Just what does this guy know?’
The second step was the lawsuit through Kim Tae-hoon. A criminal complaint for defamation and a civil lawsuit for damages. Applying legal pressure while simultaneously drawing media attention.
The third step… I hadn’t fully fleshed it out yet. But an opportunity would surely come. When Park Jung-nam makes a mistake or shows a gap while being preoccupied with his defense.
“The problem is that these things have actually happened even in large companies.”
“Do you have any specific grounds for making such a claim?”
Choi Jin-woo quickly adjusted the tone. Calling my statement a “claim” was a sign that he had sensed danger. He was taking a step back as a channel operator. I had to respect his position. I didn’t want to achieve my goal at the cost of harming Choi Jin-woo.
“There are many examples, but shall I give you just one? This actually happened on a home shopping network in 2024. They advertised it as Grade 1 Hanwoo, even featured a famous chef, and showed the grade certificate. But later, it was confirmed that dairy cow meat had been mixed in.”
“That happened even on a major home shopping network?”
“Yes, though the manufacturer claimed it was a mistake.”
Of course, I only knew this through an internet search, but… watching from the side, Ji-eun whispered, “That’s insane.”
“Then the consumers wouldn’t have known at all.”
“Exactly. They didn’t even notify the buyers for over a month. Selling meat mixed like this isn’t a simple mistake.”
Min-jae and Ji-eun had completely stopped their packing and were absorbed in our conversation.
“Since we’re on the subject, let me tell you about another recent incident.”
“What kind of incident?”
“It happened during a parliamentary audit last year. A member of the National Assembly gave a 1++ grade Hanwoo set as a gift to the Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs.”
Choi Jin-woo looked intrigued. He started his question with a joke.
“I assume it wasn’t a bribe? What was it?”
“It was a performance intended to check if the livestock traceability system was working properly. But the result was…”
I paused before continuing.
“According to the DNA analysis, the traceability numbers on all seven items, including the sirloin and soup meat, turned out to be fake.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes. Not to mention the grade, it wasn’t even certain if that 1++ meat was actually Hanwoo.”
Choi Jin-woo spoke while looking at the camera with a shocked expression.
“Then they completely deceived the consumer.”
“Yes. If this is what a member of the National Assembly gets when buying a luxury Hanwoo set, imagine how much the average consumer is being cheated.”
“Whoa… At this point, doesn’t it mean the distribution system itself is full of holes? So, why do these things keep happening?”
“It’s simple. Even if they’re caught, the punishment is negligible. In the case of the parliamentary audit example where fake traceability numbers were used, the fine for the first offense is 700,000 won. The second is 1.4 million won.”
He looked more than just disappointed; he looked like he couldn’t understand it.
“What? That’s it? They make millions or tens of millions of won by lying about 1++ Hanwoo, and the fine is only that much?”
“That’s right. Even a third offense is 2.8 million won, and it only goes up to 5,000,000 won for a fourth offense or more. But a single 1++ Hanwoo gift set can cost hundreds of thousands of won.”
Choi Jin-woo muttered while looking into the air, as if tapping on a calculator.
“Wait a minute. Then, if they sell just a few luxury Hanwoo gift sets with fake traceability numbers…”
“They can make much more than the fine. That’s why the company I mentioned earlier is still in business even though they were caught twice last year.”
“So it’s a profit even if they get caught a few times…”
I took a breath and looked directly into the camera.
“Viewers, there might be companies around us doing these things without us even knowing—whether it’s a large distributor or a local butcher shop.”
“Then, how should consumers respond?”
“First, they need to take an interest. Is the meat I’m buying really what it’s labeled as? If it’s suspicious, you have to challenge it and check. If consumers are indifferent, these things will continue to happen.”
Min-jae and Ji-eun nodded along as they listened.
“Any final words?”
I looked straight at the camera and spoke from the heart.
“To be honest, living day to day is hard enough. Having to doubt every single thing you eat—isn’t that exhausting?”
Choi Jin-woo nodded as if he sympathized.
“You’re right. It really is. We can’t exactly raise our own cows or pigs, can we?”
“But those people target exactly that. They think, ‘They won’t know,’ ‘They’ll find it too bothersome,’ and ‘They’ll trust us because we’re a brand.’ They aim for that gap.”
I continued, putting strength into my voice.
“So I’m asking you: please don’t let go of your interest. You don’t need to become an expert. Just, if you think, ‘Huh? That’s strange,’ look at it one more time. If you’re curious, ask. That’s enough.”
“That makes sense. Keeping the good places alive and letting the bad ones naturally fade away…”
I paused for a moment and then spoke again.
“I once heard a saying: ‘Don’t curse the darkness; light a candle.'”
Choi Jin-woo nodded and listened intently.
“Some of you might have heard what I said today and thought, ‘Wow, I’m too scared to buy meat now. The world is full of bad people.'”
I lowered my voice and spoke with sincerity.
“Please don’t only look at the dark side. We have to eat meat to live anyway, right? If so, I’m asking you to also take an interest in the good side.”
Choi Jin-woo nodded in agreement.
“Ah, I see. You’re not trying to scare the viewers…”
“Exactly. There are bad people in the world, but there are also so many people who do business honestly and companies that strive to sell good meat. You just need to find those people, support them, and make good choices.”
Choi Jin-woo and I gave a final greeting to the camera.
“Thank you for listening for so long today. We’ll be back next week with even more useful stories.”
In this fight, the most powerful weapon I have is, above all, the awakening of the people. That awakening must not end in simple suspicion and anxiety. My weapon will only be complete when they choose and support what is good.
***
After the broadcast ended, Choi Jin-woo said while packing up the camera, “Boss, great work. You really know how broadcasting works.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. You spoke exactly enough to be aired, so editing will be really easy. Usually, people say all sorts of things, so it’s a mess of cutting and pasting.”
Choi Jin-woo continued to explain as he folded the tripod.
“You have to be extra careful when dealing with sensitive topics. If a potentially problematic expression gets in, the channel could be in danger.”
He asked cautiously as he put the equipment into his bag.
“It seemed like you were adjusting your level since it’s the first day… but you probably know a lot more secret stories, right?”