Intensive Origin Inspection of Seafood Such as Gulbi and Dom Ahead of Seollal Holiday

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[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The National Fishery Products Quality Management Service announced on the 8th that it will conduct a special crackdown on violations of seafood origin labeling from the 13th to the 23rd in preparation for the Lunar New Year holiday.

This special crackdown is being carried out to ensure that the public can purchase seafood for ancestral rites and other purposes with confidence ahead of Seol, the traditional holiday of our nation.

The main target species for the crackdown are dried yellow corvina and sea bream, which are expected to see increased demand for ancestral rites. Alongside these, seasonal popular items such as live yellowtail, live scallops, and apple snails, whose imports have recently surged, will also be intensively inspected.

The special crackdown will deploy about 900 enforcement personnel, including special judicial police officers and investigative officials from 14 branches of the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service. To eradicate violations at the distribution stage involving large-scale distribution and processing companies, mobile inspection teams and four regional wide-area inspection teams will conduct planned crackdowns.

Additionally, a system for sharing enforcement information will be established with related organizations such as local governments, the Korea Customs Service, and the National Police Agency to enhance enforcement efficiency. Joint crackdowns will also be conducted to minimize inconvenience and burden on distribution companies and other field operators caused by duplicate visits.

If the origin is not labeled, a fine ranging from 50,000 KRW to 10 million KRW will be imposed. In cases where the origin is falsely labeled, a maximum imprisonment of up to 10 years or a fine of up to 150 million KRW may be imposed concurrently.

Over the past three years, the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service has detected an average of 109 cases of origin labeling violations during the Lunar New Year period through enforcement activities. Violations involving ancestral rite items such as dried yellow corvina, sea bream, and dried pollack continue to occur, and mandatory education on origin labeling will be provided to violators to prevent recurrence.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.