Condom manufacturer Barun Saenggak issues an apology for the Pepero Day mix up

The manufacturing company, Barun Saenggak, that launched the special 11.11 "Love Day" Pepero Day condoms, has issued an apology.

On November 11, The Boyz member Eric posted a photo of a handwritten letter to his fans against what he thought was a cute box of Pepero sticks. His post caused much stir after it turned out that the box of Pepero was not the beloved snack but was a box of condoms designed for the special 11.11 day.

After realizing Eric had posted a photo of a box of condoms, he took to the messaging app Bubble and explained, "I’m so embarrassed right now, so I'm going to hide for a week... I went to a convenience store after ending work and I saw it on display where all the Pepero were... I didn't know. I didn't know what that was and I didn't know it was that..."

He continued, "There were a lot of Peperos, but this one had 'Dear.' on it. So I thought of The Boyz's fan song 'Dear' and it also said 'Dear. The B' so I thought it was perfect... That's why I chose it... sorry if it shocked you :("  Eric explained that the box had the phrase "Dear. The B," which seemed to refer to The Boyz's fandom, TheB. 

As the controversy went viral, the condom manufacturing company issued a sincere apology.

Barun Saenggak wrote, "We sincerely apologize for causing any concern. We’re Bareun Saenggak, the brand that made an irresistibly cute… and, yes, adorable condom set. We recently released a special event product, “LOVE DAY 11.11,” designed for November 11."

The company continued, "We apologize. This situation is entirely Bareun Saenggak’s responsibility. However, we’d like to explain that our brand’s initiative comes from a desire to help people purchase and own contraceptives without facing negative judgment."

It added, "We’d also like to clarify that the condoms included in this product are not adult items—they are classified as medical devices and are available for purchase by teenagers as well. If this situation brings more awareness of this fact, we will accept the consequences of this widespread controversy."

Finally, the company concluded, "We once again extend our sincerest apologies to everyone who may have been confused by this product. Lastly, we apologize to GS25 convenience store owners who may have mistakenly displayed this product in the Pepero section instead of the condom section. We deeply regret any inconvenience caused."

Just as the manufacturing company and Eric stated, it was revealed that many of the convenience stores confused the condom boxes as the snack boxes and placed them in the Pepero display section.

Here is the full apology from Bareun Saenggak:

"We sincerely apologize for causing any concern.

We’re Bareun Saenggak, the brand that made an irresistibly cute… and, yes, adorable condom set. We recently released a special event product, “LOVE DAY 11.11,” designed for November 11.

Since then, we’ve noticed comments such as, “I bought it thinking it was Pepero, of course,” “Why make adult products look so cute?” and “Bareun Saenggak needs to apologize.”

We apologize. This situation is entirely Bareun Saenggak’s responsibility.

However, we’d like to explain that our brand’s initiative comes from a desire to help people purchase and own contraceptives without facing negative judgment.

We’d also like to clarify that the condoms included in this product are not adult items—they are classified as medical devices and are available for purchase by teenagers as well. If this situation brings more awareness of this fact, we will accept the consequences of this widespread controversy.

Through this unfortunate incident, we hope people can feel more comfortable encountering contraceptive products in daily life and gain a healthier perspective on sexual wellness.

We once again extend our sincerest apologies to everyone who may have been confused by this product.

Lastly, we apologize to GS25 store owners who may have mistakenly displayed this product in the Pepero section instead of the condom section. We deeply regret any inconvenience caused."

Luckily, Korean netizens took this happening lightheartedly and commended the manufacturing company for the idea that caused a hilarious incident. 

Korean netizens commented:

"The intention was good, lol. Still, it seems like it ended as a harmless incident without any major issues."

"This is so funny."

"It wasn't a Pepero manufacturing company but a condom company... lol."

"I thought it was Pepero too."

"I think this had good intentions."

"It was an issue if even the convenience store managers got it mixed up and displayed it in the snack aisle. lol."

"This was really good promotion though."

"The company apologized so cutely."

"They should thank Eric."

"Good for you Bareun Saenggak."

"We got to find out about this company thanks to this incident."

"I think I would get mixed up too if they were displayed together like that!"

"I like the design though. It is cute."