The egg brand "Uaran," operated by Lee Kyung-sil, has become embroiled in a controversy over its high price. On the 19th, Lee Kyung-sil expressed her position on her social media, saying, "The affection I had for fried eggs when I was young has remained tender even as I have grown older, and I have willingly participated in prioritizing quality eggs for several years now." She continued, "I have always believed that eggs must be fresh and lively above all else, and I considered 'Uaran' to prioritize quality."

The shell number of "Uaran" eggs is 4. Generally, eggs with shell number 1 are sold online at prices ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 KRW for 30 eggs. Lee Kyung-sil's eggs are sold at a similar price, which sparked controversy. The shell number consists of 10 digits, with the last digit indicating the rearing environment. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, shell number 1 means free-range, 2 means barn free-range, 3 means improved cage, and 4 means conventional cage rearing.

Lee Kyung-sil stated, "It is true that 15,000 KRW for 30 eggs with shell number 4 is expensive, but the quality of Uaran eggs is far superior to any eggs sold on the market." She added, "We have worked hard and researched to provide value that matches the price and have strived for consistent quality."

From the consumer's perspective, she said, "What matters when choosing food is what you look at, and I sincerely apologize for not fully considering consumers' feelings despite the pride in producing high-quality eggs." Lee Kyung-sil explained that the price of "Uaran" is due to differences in ingredients and rearing methods, not the rearing environment. She said, "We feed high-cost ingredients such as turmeric and cordyceps, and significant costs are invested in maintaining egg quality and freshness through farm hygiene and disease control."

Uaran stated, "Egg producers should respect each other regardless of shell numbers," and explained, "Nowadays, farms have been standardized to a higher level, so there is no longer a concern about pesticide detection as in the past." They also added, "The price of animal welfare eggs is only the cost of respecting the environment and animals, not a quality difference." They claimed, "If all farms adopt animal welfare, eggs could cost 3,000 KRW," emphasizing, "The purchasing standard should be quality, not shell number."

The company announced that it has obtained HACCP, pesticide-free, antibiotic-free, pesticide-free, and drug-free certifications. They added that they maintain quality far above the standard freshness.

Lee Kyung-sil said, "The sales price standard of Uaran is not the shell number but a quality unit called HU (Haugh Unit)," and stated, "Uaran eggs have such high quality that they can compete with any shell number." She emphasized, "Uaran's HU is measured weekly, and as of today, it is 105.9 HU, which is 47% fresher than the market's grade 1 eggs at 72 HU."

Lee Kyung-sil explained, "Egg quality grades are finally judged as +1, 1, 2, and 3 grades, and the shell numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 indicate the rearing environment and are unrelated to the egg quality grade." She reiterated, "The reason Uaran maintains a high price is due to differences in ingredients and rearing methods, not the rearing environment."

Lee Kyung-sil said, "Consumers' standards equate the rearing environment (shell number) with quality," and added, "Uaran's standards are ingredients, freshness, and management, which define quality." She added, "This incident made me realize that consumers judge good and bad eggs based on shell numbers."

She said, "There have been times when you were disappointed with number 1 eggs, and times when number 4 eggs were better than expected," and expressed hope that "this controversy properly explains to consumers that not only number 1 and 2 eggs are good, but there can be significant quality differences even within number 4 rearing environments."

Lee Kyung-sil vowed, "These days, Uaran is eaten not only by my family but also by relatives and acquaintances, and I will keep the quality as pure as my original intention."