Prime Minister Jeong: "Meal Culture Must Change for K-Quarantine to Leap as a Leading Nation"

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 9th, "To leap forward as a global leading country based on K-quarantine, our dining culture must now change to meet the standards of the global community."

On the same day, Prime Minister Chung presided over the 21st Food Safety Policy Committee at the Government Seoul Office and stated, "This year, as we have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, voices calling for improvements in our dining culture from the perspective of infectious disease prevention are growing louder."

Prime Minister Chung explained, "Healthy and safe food is an important factor that determines the quality of life of the people. Under the Moon Jae-in administration's policy stance that 'the state takes responsibility for food safety,' we are promoting policies to strengthen safety management throughout the entire cycle of food production, import, manufacturing, distribution, and consumption."

He added, "Changing a dining culture that has long been familiar to all citizens is not a simple task. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and related ministries should present easy-to-follow and simple improvement guidelines for everyone in the field, and carefully prepare so that social participation through sector-specific campaigns continues steadily."

He continued, "As single-person households rapidly increase, solo dining and solo drinking are becoming popular, and dining out, delivery food, and home meal replacement (HMR) consumption are becoming common. In these changes, related ministries must strengthen policy responses to ensure that public health is not threatened and no blind spots in safety management arise," he emphasized.

Prime Minister Chung also requested management of seafood. He said, "Last year, there was a case where the number of hepatitis A patients surged nearly eightfold compared to the previous year, causing public anxiety. Scientific investigations revealed that salted clams were the main cause. Clams such as Manila clams, oysters, and mussels are not only foods enjoyed by the public but also important seafood products industrially, with annual exports reaching 200 million dollars," he explained.

He added, "The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries should actively cooperate with local governments in areas producing shellfish to ensure that follow-up measures such as pollution source management and compliance with hygiene standards are properly implemented on site."

Prime Minister Chung also said, "This summer is expected to be hotter than usual with more heatwaves. In a situation where COVID-19 has not ended, if food safety accidents occur, public health will be very concerning. The Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, related ministries, and local governments should strengthen hygiene inspections of food companies, restaurants, and schools, and make special efforts to prevent food-related diseases during the summer," he ordered.

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