"Not China but Korea..." Hygiene Controversy Over 'Mareun Ojingeo' Stepped on with Shoes

Workers at a dried squid manufacturing company were seen stepping on squid with their shoes on, sparking hygiene concerns.
[Photo by Online Community Capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Workers at a dried squid manufacturing company were seen wearing shoes and stepping on squid with their feet, sparking hygiene concerns.

According to Channel A on the 8th, a roughly 27-second video of dried squid production posted on TikTok by a foreign worker was made public online.

The video shows workers at a manufacturing factory selling dried squid wearing white shoes and stepping on the dried squid.

They lined up dozens of squid on the floor and repeatedly walked back and forth, stepping on the squid.

Many were working without masks or wearing masks improperly below the chin, and some ate ramen during work.

In another video posted by the same worker, a delivery box printed with the name of a company presumed to be a specialty product shopping mall in Gyeongbuk Province was also captured.

The video also showed workers wearing shoes identical to those worn in the workplace walking around various outdoor locations.

Netizens who saw the video were shocked. One netizen reported the workplace to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, citing unhygienic working conditions.

Other reactions included, "I used to buy a lot of squid, but this is disgusting," "There’s nothing safe to eat anymore," and "Look at how dirty the floor is."

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety also began investigating after viewing the video.

On the other hand, some opinions suggested there was no problem since the shoes were work shoes. An industry insider explained that dried squid is made through this process, saying, "Each squid is spread out and stepped on; if it gets crumpled, it’s spread out again and stepped on. This is a task that cannot be done by machines."

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