Seoul City Conducts Special Inspection on Origin of Ancestral Rite Supplies Ahead of Lunar New Year

Items for Jesuyongpum Sold at Traditional Markets and Online

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government's Civil Affairs Judicial Police Unit announced on the 9th that it will conduct a special crackdown on false origin labeling and hygiene violations targeting major gift and ancestral rites items such as Korean beef sold in traditional markets and online until the 20th, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

This crackdown will be carried out in two ways: on-site inspections targeting traditional markets frequently visited by citizens, and online inspections reflecting the increasing online sales of gift and ancestral rites items.

In traditional markets and large supermarkets, inspections will focus on popular ancestral rites items such as Korean traditional sweets (Hangwa), jujubes, and chestnuts, checking for origin labeling, hygiene management status, and compliance with expiration dates. Online, Korean beef and pork purchased as gift and ancestral rites items will undergo origin inspections.

For online inspections, products with relatively high sales due to lower prices will be purchased. Korean beef will be subjected to genetic testing at the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment, while pork origin will be identified using rapid origin test kits.

Businesses found violating regulations will face criminal charges or fines under the "Act on the Labeling of Origin of Agricultural and Fishery Products." False origin labeling can result in imprisonment of up to seven years or fines up to 100 million KRW, and failure to label origin can lead to fines up to 10 million KRW.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government emphasized that citizen reports are crucial in investigating food-related illegal activities such as origin violations and urged the public to actively report or provide information if they discover related crimes or suffer damages.

Anyone can report food-related illegal activities through various means such as smartphone apps and the Seoul Metropolitan Government website. Informants may receive rewards up to 200 million KRW after review in accordance with the "Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Protection and Support for Public Interest Whistleblowers."

Seo Young-gwan, head of the Seoul Civil Affairs Judicial Police Unit, stated, “Since this crackdown will be conducted after prior notice, strict measures will be taken against businesses found violating regulations. In 2023, we will continue to listen closely to citizen reports and thoroughly investigate illegal activities that undermine food safety such as false origin labeling, doing our best to ensure citizens can eat with peace of mind.”

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