As Chuseok approaches, 256 businesses have been caught mislabeling or failing to label the origin of agricultural products. Among those, 104 businesses that falsely labeled their products have been criminally charged, while 152 businesses that did not label their products face fines totaling 35.87 million won.
The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service announced the results of its focused inspections on the origin labeling of agricultural products for Chuseok gifts and offerings, conducted from September 7 to 23.
Using special judicial police and honorary inspectors, the agency checked 13,251 locations, including manufacturing and processing companies, online sellers, and wholesale and retail businesses. The inspections primarily targeted cases where foreign agricultural products were disguised as domestic products or sold as local specialties.
A total of 273 violations were identified. The most common violation involved napa cabbage kimchi, with 84 cases, followed by pork with 38 cases, soybeans with 32 cases, beef with 27 cases, chicken with 12 cases, and jujubes with 9 cases.
For instance, a meat shop in Seoul was caught selling Canadian chilled pork belly and neck as domestic products. A restaurant in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, served Chinese napa cabbage kimchi while labeling the cabbage as domestic and the chili powder as Chinese.
There were also cases where Chinese chili powder was repackaged and labeled as domestic. An establishment that supplied Chinese shiitake mushrooms labeled as domestic to a local food store was also caught in the crackdown.
The 104 businesses that falsely labeled their products will be referred to the prosecution after the agency's investigation. The 152 businesses that failed to label their products will face fines totaling 35.87 million won.
During the inspection period, the agency also conducted a campaign on origin labeling in 159 traditional markets nationwide, including the Gachisan Market in Seoul, in collaboration with producer and consumer groups. Joint inspections were also carried out with related agencies such as the Forest Service, Customs Service, and local governments.
Kim Cheol, head of the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, stated, "We will continue to strengthen inspections and promotions of origin labeling so that consumers can confidently purchase our agricultural products." He added that during the upcoming kimjang season, inspections will focus on items with high consumption, such as napa cabbage, chili powder, and garlic.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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