Importer Arrested for Selling 303 Tons of Imported Mixed Grains Labeled as 'Domestic'

Officials from the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service are conducting an inspection on the 24th at a warehouse containing mixed grains combining imported and domestic products. Photo by National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service Jeonnam Branch [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Joo-eun Lee] A distributor who falsely labeled the origin of mixed grains, combining imported and domestic products, as domestic has been arrested by special judicial police.

On the 24th, the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service announced that it had arrested Mr. A (57), the representative of an agricultural cooperative corporation in Haenam, Jeollanam-do, on charges of violating the Act on the Labeling of Origin of Agricultural and Fishery Products.

It was revealed that the imported millet and foxtail millet, which Mr. A falsely labeled as domestic origin, were processed at a factory into chajobsal (small glutinous rice) and millet rice, and distributed and sold to consumers nationwide.

Mr. A is suspected of mixing imported grains with domestic grains from March two years ago to January this year and selling them labeled solely as purely domestic. The amount of mixed grains distributed nationwide, including Gangwon, Chungcheong, and Jeju Island, by deceiving the origin is approximately 303 tons, amounting to about 1.86 billion KRW.

Additionally, Mr. A is also charged with fabricating false documents such as producer certificates and purchase records.

Furthermore, through investigation, the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service referred Mr. B (49), an operator of a grain retail store in Gwangju Metropolitan City, without detention. It was confirmed that he sold imported grains little by little, deceiving consumers who prefer direct transactions from production areas by labeling them as domestic.

Hwang Gyu-kwang, head of the Jeonnam branch of the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, stated, "We will strengthen origin guidance and crackdowns so that consumers can trust and purchase agricultural products, and restore order in distribution."

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