Although South Korea has a pork grading system, it is effectively in a zombie state.
Cattle can be raised for about thirty months, allowing for quality differentiation through factors like marbling. On the other hand, pigs are slaughtered after a short six-month rearing period. Because of this, some people go so far as to say the grading is meaningless because there is little difference in quality between individuals.
Even if that were true, isn’t it a flawed system if the person paying their own money to eat doesn’t know anything about what they are buying?
There are definitely differences between each piece of meat, but since those differences aren’t explained, consumers are forced to play a game of chance every time they buy pork. The even bigger problem is that people have already become accustomed to this situation. It is the normalization of the abnormal. A total mess is the only way to describe it.
President Yoon spoke in a dejected voice, as if he believed nothing more could change. Having watched this situation for decades, his reaction was only natural.
“Phew… There was heavy opposition from the industry, and consumers didn’t show much interest. In the end, it became a useless system. That just shows how difficult it is to get it to take hold. For an individual to do what even the government couldn’t…”
Currently, the national pork grading system evaluates several items—weight, intramuscular fat, meat color, fat color, and fat thickness—in first and second comprehensive assessments to divide them into 1+, 1, 2, and off-grade. However, the items that actually determine the true taste of the meat, such as the breeding environment, feed, and lineage, are not even considered.
It is difficult to verify each one individually, and there is a lack of personnel to conduct inspections. Therefore, even within the same Grade 1+, the meat varies wildly—some are chewy, some are mild, and some even have an unpleasant odor. Even though the person eating it can clearly taste the difference, the system fails to reflect this at all.
Pork processing and distribution companies, as well as some farms, argue that the grading system only reduces price competitiveness. In 2021, the Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation even suggested labeling the gender of the pigs, but even this was scrapped due to opposition from these companies.
Eventually, grades disappeared from the market, and brands became a more important selection criterion. The few brands that come to mind when we think of pork became another name for the grade itself.
Unlike normal brands, Megameat craftily burrowed into the gaps of this system. They were a company that grew by thoroughly exploiting the fact that the only thing people could trust was the brand.
If the pork grading system had been properly established and followed, Brother Seongjin’s Clean Farm might never have faced such difficulties, and a monster like Megameat might never have appeared in the first place.
President Yoon’s voice trailed off. His worry was clearly conveyed. He stole a glance at me.
“No, I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it… It’s just that things are going well right now, and I wonder if you’re pushing yourself too hard.”
President Yoon’s worried voice echoed inside the truck.
“Even so, I can’t give up before I even try,” I said, looking out the window.
President Yoon tilted his head. “The government tried to implement it nationwide and it fizzled out…”
“That might have been the exact problem.”
“What problem?”
“The government tried to do it on a national scale from the start, targeting all slaughterhouses and distributors. But I’m different. I’m starting in one small market called Ga-yeong-dong, within a range that I can personally control.”
President Yoon’s expression began to change slightly.
“A large ship is hard to turn, but a small boat like mine can move quickly. If something goes wrong, I can return to the original way immediately.”
Isn’t this the advantage of a small shop? Most importantly, even if it failed, the damage wouldn’t be significant. If a national government policy fails, it incurs enormous social costs, but one shop going through trial and error was a problem I could handle on my own.
“And the most important thing is that I don’t need to persuade many people like the government does. My position is completely different from the government, which has to worry about the livestock industry, the distribution industry, and even political circles.”
“Is that how it works? Well, that’s strangely persuasive. Haha.”
“Yes. I just need to satisfy our customers. If I do that, the money will follow naturally, won’t it?”
Just then, my phone rang, and the name Kang Min-seok appeared on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Jeong! President Yoon! It ended successfully!”
Kang Min-seok’s excited voice came through the phone. I switched to speakerphone for President Yoon.
“The event just ended, and the reaction was great. Thank you so much!”
“That’s a relief. How was it? The wrap-up?”
“At first, the reaction was just okay, but the atmosphere completely changed during the final *shime*. The Japanese influencers were taking so many pictures.”
President Yoon listened intently to the call even while driving.
“If it weren’t for that last striploin and the beef tartare, we would have been in big trouble. Your advice was really the key, Mr. Jeong.”
“Ah, I’m glad. I was worried the whole way back…”
“It’s already starting to show up on Japanese social media. Thank you so much! And to President Yoon too!”
“Oh, did I even do anything? Good luck with everything then,” President Yoon said cheerfully as he said goodbye.
I loved moments like this. The moments when I get to know people who are looking for truly skilled work and good ingredients one by one, and I feel the fact that I am helping them.
***
After saying goodbye to President Yoon, I returned to Ga-yeong-dong just as darkness began to fall. I hadn’t shown it in front of President Yoon while he was driving so hard, but my whole body was stiff after being in the truck all day for the round trip to Busan.
As soon as I entered the shop, Minjae spoke up.
“Brother! Are you back? By any way, do you remember what today is?”
“What day?” I asked with a blank expression. My head was full of the business in Busan.
“It’s the day the ‘Dangerous Table’ broadcast airs. You said we’d watch it together.”
“Ah! That’s right.”
Only then did I remember. I had completely forgotten.
“Then let’s watch it together. Where should we watch?”
“There’s a TV in Store 1.”
A moment later, while I was tidying up the shop, I saw Ji-eun running over from the direction of Store 2.
“CEO! I can watch it with you guys today too, right?” Ji-eun said, panting for breath.
“Why aren’t you going home? You worked hard today, you should go home and rest.”
“What’s the fun in watching it alone at home? It’s much better to watch it all together! Manager Park said he’s going home to watch it with his daughters.”
Ji-eun’s eyes sparkled.
“Phew… Why don’t you get a boyfriend? Stop saying you’re always alone.”
When I teased her with a smile, Ji-eun shook her head.
“I have the capability, but I’m choosing not to date. Learning the business here is much more fun than dating.”
“Hey, you should date while you’re young,” Minjae chimed in with a laugh.
“What? Hmph! You don’t have a girlfriend either, Senior…”
We moved to Store 1. We pulled up plastic chairs and sat around the small TV.
“Father said he was going to watch it at Uncle Seongjin’s place…”
Minjae chuckled at my words. “I guess Father went there because he wanted to brag about his son.”
Minjae took the remote and tuned it to the channel.
“Oh, it’s starting!”
The background music played as the title “Dangerous Table” appeared on the screen. As Producer Kim Tae-hyun’s voice began the opening remarks, the three of us fell silent at the same time.
As the broadcast progressed, scenes of me appearing came on. There were scenes of experts failing to distinguish between Hanwoo and imported beef, followed by scenes of me explaining it step-by-step.
“Whoa, Brother, you actually look better on screen than in real life!” Minjae said playfully while looking at the screen.
“That’s right! CEO, you look more like a professor than the professor sitting next to you. Your way of speaking is calm and persuasive.”
Ji-eun also focused on the screen with sparkling eyes. When the broadcast ended, the two of them gave a standing ovation as if to tease me.
“Wow… Brother, you completely carried the broadcast by yourself!” Minjae said, giving a thumbs up.
“Seriously! The other experts were just like background props. Only the scenes with the CEO are memorable.”
Ji-eun also gave a thumbs up and laughed. I waved my hand in embarrassment.
“No, I was just lucky. The meat just happened to look clear to me that day.”
“No! It was really amazing. I think you’re going to become really famous now.”
Ji-eun nodded at Minjae’s words. “Exactly. I think even more customers will come starting tomorrow.”
Feeling embarrassed, I quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, Ji-eun, your break is almost over. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the new semester?”
Ji-eun’s expression darkened for a moment. She answered as if she didn’t really want to. “Ah… yes.”
“So, Minjae, I think we should find a replacement in advance so Ji-eun can feel more at ease.”
Minjae nodded. “That’s true. Ji-eun will need time to train the new person too.”
“So let’s put out a job ad again tomorrow. If we find someone, it’ll lighten Ji-eun’s workload too.”
Ji-eun listened silently. Her reaction was quieter than usual, but I figured she had a lot on her mind with the upcoming semester.
“Ji-eun, I know you’ll be busy, but please handle the handover when the new person arrives. You know the job best.”
“…Yes, I understand,” Ji-eun replied in a small voice.
***
The next morning, I called everyone to Store 1. I sat down with Manager Park, Ji-eun, Minjae, and Father.
“First, I have some good news. I’ve asked President Yoon to handle the logistics. Now Minjae and I can reduce the time we spend going to the market.”
Everyone looked pleased.
“Since we only need to go see the beef now, we’ll be able to spend more time at the shops. I know the workload has increased for each store. Minjae and I will move around more to help you.”
Father nodded. “Yeah, that’s good. You were taking on too much work alone.”
“So… I’m thinking of trying something new this time.”
Everyone’s eyes gathered on me at once.
“I’m going to try creating our own pork grading system.”
For a moment, everyone looked surprised. Even Manager Park, who rarely expressed emotion, asked with a bewildered face, “A grading system? But there are already pork grades now.”
I nodded at Manager Park’s question.
“You’re right. There is a grading system implemented by the government. But Manager Park, you know this too. Do customers buy meat based on those grades?”
Manager Park thought for a moment and then shook his head. “Well… no. Most customers just choose by the cut.”
“Exactly. Whether it’s Grade 1+ or Grade 2, to the customers, it’s just pork belly. Even if there’s a grade, it’s meaningless.”
Minjae was curious too. “Then what’s different about what we’re trying to do?”
“We’re going to classify it based on our own criteria so that customers can actually make a choice. The government grading system is assigned at the slaughterhouse and that’s it. It becomes useless because everything gets mixed together during the processing and packaging stages.”
Father nodded. “Right, the current government grading system might as well only exist on paper. Even the people selling the meat aren’t very interested, so how would the customers know?”
“That’s why we should look at the meat ourselves, classify it by our standards, and give the customers a choice. Let’s create a grading system that is actually useful.”
Everyone was contemplating my words.
“I’m not saying we’re going to do it today. There’s a lot to prepare… so everyone please think about it and let me know if you have any good ideas. Now then, let’s get back to our respective tasks.”
***
After the meeting, everyone scattered to their positions. But thinking back, Ji-eun hadn’t said a single word throughout the entire meeting. Usually, she would have come up with all sorts of ideas, but today she was unusually quiet.
Looking closely at Ji-eun’s face, her expression was dark. She had deep dark circles under her eyes, looking as though she hadn’t slept well.
I headed to Store 3 first. There were many things to check because a beef delivery was scheduled for today. As soon as I left the shop, I heard Ji-eun calling from behind.
“CEO, wait a moment.”
I turned around to find Ji-eun standing there with a hesitant expression.
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“I’m sorry, but… I have something to tell you.”
Ji-eun’s usually boisterous voice was barely a whisper today. I felt like it was going to be something important.
“Sure, what is it?”
“If… if I were to… take a leave of absence, could I keep working here?”
The moment I heard that, concern washed over me. I knew all too well that Ji-eun’s family situation wasn’t well-off.
“A leave of absence? Why? Is it because of the tuition?”
When I asked out of worry, Ji-eun shook her head.
“No. I can get a student loan for the tuition.”
“Then why did you suddenly think about taking a leave of absence?”
“Actually… I think I’d regret it too much if I quit now.”
“Regret it?”
“Yes. The business is growing right now. Your face is becoming known, we’ve kicked out Megameat, and now a startup with a bright future is about to start its engine toward the world…”
I suddenly burst out laughing. “What? A startup?”
Ji-eun nodded several times. “Of course it’s a startup. Then what is it? Isn’t it a startup in the butcher shop industry?”
“It’s just a Butcher Shop.”
“No! Look at what you’re doing. It’s completely innovative.”
I was actually taken aback by Ji-eun’s passionate reaction.
“And you’ve been on TV, and you’ve gone all the way to Busan to do consulting. Is this what a normal Butcher Shop owner does?”
“That’s…”
“You’re changing the game in the meat industry. I don’t want to be the only one to miss out on such a great experience. I want to start my own business later, so where else would I find an opportunity to learn so closely?”
There was sincerity in Ji-eun’s voice.
“I thought about it all night because I felt like I would regret not having this experience. When I look at my friends these days, they all take a leave of absence at least once for language training, internships, or volunteer work. They all spend their own money to do it, but I can learn while getting paid.”
Ji-eun’s eyes sparkled exceptionally bright today.
“If you’ll have me, I want to take a leave of absence and work for a semester or even a year. Really.”
I thought about it for a moment. ‘Her passion is appreciated, but is this really the best choice for her?’
“Ji-eun, I really understand how you feel. But shouldn’t school come first? I’m worried you might regret it later…”
Ji-eun shook her head firmly.
“No. If not now, when will an opportunity like this come again? Please think about it. Please?”
“Well, if you’re willing to do that, I’m very grateful, but…”
Before I could even finish my sentence, Ji-eun was already running toward Store 2. From far away, she turned back and waved.
“CEO! Thank you! I’ll take that as a yes!”