Source: Women News

What happened

According to Women News (Aug. 19), Wando County’s abalone industry is struggling with oversupply and weak demand, and Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ji-won (Haenam·Jindo·Wando district) made a surprise cameo in a YouTube promo video urging the public to eat more Wando abalone and visit the county. The clip links a sharp farm-gate price crash to a pitch for Jeolla coast tourism.

The breakdown

Women News reports that Park filmed last weekend in Jeongdo-ri, Wando, with local residents, tasting abalone dishes and bipea wine while introducing county sights.

In footage credited to “Wando Bulmoksanjang Pension Insaengchueok,” Park praised the wine and, when a resident opened with “Love of Country,” answered “Love of Wando.” After abalone, he said Wando abalone is “the best” and that many National Assembly members had praised it — “there is no ruling–opposition divide on abalone.” He called Wando “one big resort,” claimed Wando sunsets beat Geumgangsan’s Haegumgang, and cited Sinji Myeongsa Sipri, a National Warm-Temperate Arboretum under construction, and the Marine Fisheries Museum before asking viewers to “come to Wando and spend a lot of money.”

The numbers explain the urgency. Wando produces roughly 74% of Korea’s abalone. Output rose from 23,317 metric tons in 2024 to 27,177 t last year, with 2026 projected above 30,000 t. Farm prices fell from about 26,000 won per kilogram in 2022 to the mid-10,000-won range recently, squeezing producers as sluggish consumption meets rising supply.

Park’s shoot was promotional, not a policy launch — star power to move plates and fill guesthouses during a glut. Related local politics in Women News’s link stack includes 4,000-ton public-purchase pledges and Ottogi retail partnerships, signaling the crisis is already on the government-industry agenda.

Why it matters outside Korea

Wando anchors the southwestern Korean Peninsula — a slow-lane add-on to Busan–Jeju routes and a staple of Jeolla “honest seafood” travel. When three in four Korean farmed abalones come from one county and prices halve, visitors may find cheaper premium seafood but also quality cuts, stressed small operators, and quiet harbor restaurants if the slump lasts. The video shows how parliamentary districts merge agrifish rescue with destination marketing — common in wine valleys and island citrus campaigns, but sharper when one shellfish defines regional identity.

What travelers and expats should watch

• Menu prices vs. dock prices: Women News cites farm-gate collapse, not automatic restaurant markdowns. On Wando, ask whether specials reflect the county slump or fixed tourist pricing.
• YouTube-led discovery: The promo sits on a local pension channel, not a national tourism feed. Expect Korean-only captions and plan around Jeongdo-ri, Sinji, and the museums Park named.
• Supply swings: Output heading above 30,000 t can mean abundant but uneven quality as farms clear stock. Confirm live-tank freshness before buying gift packs.
• Retail spillover: Linked pledges of public purchase and Ottogi tie-ins could put supermarket abalone in reach for expats in Gwangju or Mokpo before a ferry day trip pays off.

Context

Read this as a distressed shellfish economy using political star power to refill tables, not as “Wando abalone is suddenly trendy abroad.” Women News documents one weekend shoot and price statistics — not new flights, visas, or guaranteed rebates. Korelay’s frame: 2026 Jeolla trips may pair bargain abalone talk with real fishing-town anxiety; half-price tasting menus still require asking.

Source

Women News: “완도에 와서 전복 많이 드세요”…박지원, 전복 소비촉진 영상 깜짝 출연 — paraphrased for briefing; production figures, price levels, and quotes attributed to the Aug. 19 report; Korean original.