2–3 minutes

Vous vous souvenez de 2020 ?

Les masques, les gels hydroalcooliques… introuvables du jour au lendemain ?

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Remember 2020?

When masks and hand sanitizer vanished overnight?

Image générée par IA / AI-generated image — created with Google Gemini

En Corée, ce phénomène a un nom bien précis :

사재기 (sa.djé.gui)

Et en ce moment, il est de retour —

mais cette fois, ce sont… les sacs-poubelle qui disparaissent des rayons. 😯

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In Korea, this kind of panic buying has a name:

사재기 (sa-jeh-gi)

And right now, it’s happening again — except this time, it’s trash bags that people are hoarding.


🗑️ Pourquoi les sacs-poubelle ? / Why trash bags?

En Corée, les sacs-poubelle ne sont pas gratuits !

Chaque foyer doit acheter des sacs spécifiques, appelés

종량제 봉투 (djon-nian.djé bon.tou),

pour jeter ses ordures ménagères.


Ces sacs sont produits et vendus par les collectivités locales.

Résultat : chaque ville a son propre modèle.

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In Korea, trash bags aren’t free.

Every household has to buy specific bags, called

종량제 봉투 (jong-nyang-je bong-tu),

to dispose of regular waste.

These bags are sold through local municipalities, which means every city has its own version.

Image générée par IA / AI-generated image — created with ChatGPT

En principe, chaque sac n’est valable que dans sa ville d’origine.

Cependant, en cas de déménagement, il est possible d’obtenir un autocollant auprès de la mairie pour continuer à utiliser les anciens sacs pendant une certaine période.

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In principle, each bag can only be used in the city where it was purchased.

However, if you move, you can get a sticker from your local district office to keep using your old bags for a limited time.

Image générée par IA / AI-generated image — created with Google Gemini

Ces sacs sont fabriqués à partir de naphta, un dérivé du pétrole.

Avec les tensions actuelles au Moyen-Orient, les importations ont fortement chuté — près de 70 % — ce qui a obligé les fabricants à réduire leur production.

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They’re made from naphtha, a petroleum-based material.

With ongoing tensions in the Middle East, imports have dropped by nearly 70%, forcing manufacturers to reduce production..

Image générée par IA / AI-generated image — created with Google Gemini

Le gouvernement assure que les stocks restent suffisants…

mais difficile de le croire quand les rayons sont vides.

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The government says supplies are still stable…

but it’s hard to believe when store shelves are empty.


Le mot du jour / Word of the day

Faire des stocks de manière excessive, souvent par peur d’une pénurie.

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The act of stockpiling goods excessively, usually out of fear of a shortage.



Partout en Corée, de nombreux magasins ont commencé à limiter les achats : entre 2 et 5 sacs-poubelle par personne.

Comme un air de déjà-vu qui nous ramène en 2020.

Un petit détail du quotidien… qui montre à quel point une pénurie peut rapidement s’installer.

Et surtout, comment la géopolitique mondiale finit toujours par s’inviter dans notre quotidien.

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Et surtout, comment la géopolitique mondiale finit toujours par atterrir dans nos cuisines.

Across Korea, many stores have started limiting purchases: 👉 only 2 to 5 trash bags per person.

It almost feels like déjà vu from 2020.

A small everyday detail… that shows how quickly a shortage can take hold.

And how global politics always finds its way into our daily lives.


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4 responses

  1. It’s bound to happen here too! Farmers have already been protesting about shortages! 🤗🙇‍♂️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I see, it’s the same over there too… Hopefully things calm down soon.🙏

      Wishing you a lovely week! 🌸🌸🌸

      Liked by 1 person

    2. I live in Northern Ireland, UK and so far no protests, but in the Republic of Ireland, south of where I live there were many protests. The RoI government even calling their army in to help clear some of the blocked roads.

      In NI I understand that about 75% of the population rely on oil for heating at home and I imagine the % is similar in the RoI.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Oh wow, I didn’t realize things were that serious there.
      Compared to that, panic buying trash bags here almost feels a bit ridiculous…🫣
      (we even joke about it, like “were we really that good at separating trash?”)

      But it sounds really tough over there, especially with so many people relying on oil for heating.

      At least the weather is getting warmer, but I hope things don’t get any worse… it doesn’t seem to be improving much, unfortunately. 😢

      Liked by 1 person

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