335 Companies Caught Violating Origin Labeling for Chuseok Gifts and Ancestral Ritual Supplies

Pork 28.1%, Baechu Kimchi 14.5% in Order... General Restaurants Highest at 29%
Nonggwanwon "Increase in Non-face-to-face Transactions and Imports... Strict Guidance and Enforcement of Origin Labeling Law"

Citizens are purchasing ritual supplies and other items at Gyeongdong Market in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] A total of 335 companies were caught for improperly labeling the origin of Chuseok gifts and ancestral ritual food items.

The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service (NAQS) announced on the 29th that it conducted a nationwide crackdown from the 30th of last month to the 20th of this month to manage the labeling of agricultural food origins during the Chuseok holiday, resulting in the detection of 335 violating companies. There were 73 items involved and 399 violations in total.

By item, pork accounted for the largest share at 28.1%, followed by napa cabbage kimchi at 14.5%, beef at 3.8%, chicken at 5.0%, rice cakes at 4.5%, and tofu products at 3.5%. By industry type, general restaurants accounted for 29.0%, delivery and other telecommunication sales companies 23.0%, meat sales companies 18.8%, and processing companies 16.7%.

Among them, 203 companies falsely labeled the origin and were criminally charged. These companies will face procedures such as prosecution and may be sentenced to "up to 7 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 100 million won." For the 132 companies that did not label the origin, a fine of 30 million won was imposed. The names of companies with false labeling and details of violations can be checked on the NAQS and Korea Consumer Agency websites.

Lee Joo-myung, head of NAQS, said, "We are continuously strengthening origin management to establish a proper distribution order for agricultural products," adding, "We will also respond to changes in conditions such as the increase in non-face-to-face transactions and agricultural product imports by developing efficient origin verification techniques, providing guidance and publicity on origin labeling methods to the agricultural food industry, and conducting strict crackdowns."

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