Prosecutors Summon Current and Former Employees of McDonald's Korea Over 'Hamburger Disease' Suspicion

[Asia Economy Reporter Su-yeon Woo] The prosecution has intensified its investigation by summoning current and former executives of McDonald's Korea headquarters in connection with allegations that a child developed 'Hamburger Disease (Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome·HUS)' after eating undercooked meat patties.

According to the legal community on the 31st, the Criminal Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Hyung-soo) recently began questioning current and former employees of McDonald's Korea. The prosecution is reportedly asking whether they were aware that contaminated patties were supplied and whether they requested employees to provide false statements.

Earlier, on the 26th, the Seoul Central District Court found executives of the hamburger patty manufacturer guilty of supplying meat patties that tested positive for enterohemorrhagic E. coli contamination. However, McDonald's Korea headquarters was acquitted.

In response to this ruling, nine civic groups including 'Mothers Who Do Politics' filed a complaint requesting punishment for McDonald's Korea for violating the Food Sanitation Act and for professional negligence causing injury, alleging that the company concealed the presence of contaminated patties in some stores even after being informed by the supplier.

The prosecution, which has launched a reinvestigation, summoned the patty supplier and the public official responsible for hygiene inspections last November to investigate the responsibility of McDonald's Korea headquarters.

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