Controversy Over 식약처 Employee's Remark "China is a Great Power, Korea is a Vassal State"... "Not an Official Position" Apology

The video of Chinese-made 'Naked Kimchi' that sparked controversy on online communities. Photo by Online Community

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Seoyoung] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) apologized for an employee's remarks referring to China as a "great power" and Korea as a "tributary state."

On the 22nd of last month, during a phone conversation with reporters, an employee from the MFDS spokesperson office reportedly said, "China is an advanced and somewhat huge country," and "In the old days, (Korea) was a tributary state. If they (Korea) try to manage safety, it would not feel very good," sparking controversy.

The remarks were made in the context of the recent controversy over the so-called "naked kimchi" video from China, implying that if Korea requested the Chinese side to comply with the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) food safety management certification standards, China would show reluctance.

On the 2nd, the MFDS issued a statement saying, "We apologize to the public for the employee's inappropriate remarks." The MFDS added, "An employee belonging to the MFDS once described Korea as a tributary state while explaining policies related to Chinese kimchi to a media outlet, and we apologize to the public."

Furthermore, the MFDS clarified, "The employee's remarks do not represent the official position of the MFDS," and "The official from the spokesperson office made a mistake while answering a reporter's question, and immediately called back to retract and correct the statement."

The MFDS continued, "We will implement strong public official conduct training and preventive measures to ensure such incidents do not recur, and we will do our best to become a trusted institution by the public," reiterating their apology.

Meanwhile, the "naked kimchi" video, which spread mainly through online communities, showed naked workers stirring cabbage with bare hands and moving salted cabbage with an excavator. The site captured in the video was reported to be a kimchi factory in China, shocking netizens.

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