SEOUL: Global furniture giant Ikea opens its first store in South Korea on Thursday, a much-anticipated market entry that has stumbled at a number of commercial and cultural hurdles along the way.
Expectations are high for the Swedish firm's 131,550 square-metre (32.5-acre) outlet in the city of Gwangmyeong, south of Seoul, especially among young, urban consumers.
Koreans have long lamented a lack of choice in a domestic furniture market often criticised for its overpriced, limited designs.
But it is IKEA's pricing policing that has been called into question ahead of Thursday's opening, which has also been tarnished by a gaffe over a hot-button diplomatic issue.
When the retailer unveiled the website for its Gwangmyeong store last month, the initial reaction was one of angry disappointment at a price list that seemed significantly inflated compared to Ikea stores elsewhere.
"Apparently Ikea thinks South Koreans are a bunch of suckers. A company like this should be punished," said one of thousands of angry comments posted online after the price disclosure.
Seoul's Fair Trade Commission also stepped in, saying it would analyse the alleged price discrepancies and make the information available for consumers.
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