90,000 soums for plain water and Mountain Dew: Korean blogger expresses dissatisfaction

A Korean travel vlogger with 36,8 thousand followers bought a bottle of Mountain Dew and 1 liter of plain water from a store near the famous “O‘zbekiston” hotel in Tashkent, where he was staying. According to him, it was impossible to know the total cost in advance because the products did not have price tags.

The blogger said he did not need a receipt and paid for the purchase by bank card. However, after leaving the store, he received a notification on his phone that 13 thousand Korean won (approximately 90 thousand soums) had been charged. He said that such drinks usually cost around 15-20 thousand soums. He then objected to the seller, and the entire excess amount was refunded.

A video showing the incident was viewed more than 2,3 million times on the blogger’s social media page and sparked widespread discussion. The video also quickly spread in Uzbekistan. Many internet users apologized to the blogger and invited him to visit various cities and attractions across the country again.

Later, the blogger said that he had also received an apologetic message from representatives of Uzbekistan’s tourism sector. He was also offered a 7-night, 8-day familiarization trip, with airfare and all travel expenses covered. Through this initiative, the guest is expected to have an opportunity to see the country’s tourism potential and hospitality firsthand.