From Wangga Tanghulu to Former Idols... A Flood of Unusual National Assembly Hearing Witnesses

‘Wangga Tanghuru’ CEO Kim Sohyang
Inquiry on Youth Sugar Overconsumption Issue
Former Idol Group ‘Winner’ Member Nam Taehyun
Witness Selected for Drug Rehabilitation Policy

With just over ten days remaining, this year's National Assembly audit will summon the CEO of a domestic franchise company selling the Chinese traditional snack "Tanghulu," which is fruit skewers coated with sugar syrup, as well as a celebrity who used to be a member of an idol group.

The National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee held a plenary session on the 21st of last month and finalized the schedule for the upcoming audit targeting the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, along with the list of witnesses and reference persons to be summoned. Fifteen witnesses and thirty-three reference persons were adopted.

At a booth at the '2023 Seoul Dessert Fair' held at aT Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, tanghulu for sale is displayed.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Among the 15 witnesses, Kim Sohyang, CEO of Dalkomnara Alice, which owns the Tanghulu specialty franchise "Wangga Tanghulu," draws attention. The Health and Welfare Committee plans to question CEO Kim on the 12th of this month during the Ministry of Health and Welfare audit regarding the issue of excessive sugar consumption among adolescents.

In fact, according to the status of juvenile diabetes students from 17 city and provincial education offices submitted by the Ministry of Education to the National Assembly, the number of juvenile diabetes patients in elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide was 3,111 in 2021, 3,655 in 2022, and 3,855 as of April 1 this year. This represents a 23.9% increase over two years.

The Health and Welfare Committee members believe that juvenile diabetes could worsen due to the recent "Tanghulu craze" among teenagers. According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation's Food Industry Statistical Information, from July 30 to September 9 (weeks 31 to 36 of 2023), the top two most popular search terms in the frozen and ready-to-cook food category were both related to Tanghulu. The first was Ice Tanghulu, and the second was Tanghulu.

Tanghulu is a food made by coating fresh fruit skewered on sticks with sugar syrup and letting it harden. Since the syrup used in Tanghulu consists of simple sugars such as sugar and corn syrup, it is known to rapidly raise blood sugar levels, potentially causing diseases like diabetes and obesity.

Singer Nam Taehyun, a former idol, accused of methamphetamine use.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Nam Taehyun, a former member of the idol group "WINNER," who was indicted without detention on charges of methamphetamine use, has been selected as a reference person for the Health and Welfare Committee audit. After drug use, Nam was admitted to a rehabilitation center and is expected to be questioned regarding drug rehabilitation policies.

On the 13th of this month, Kim Jimin, operator of the fish-related YouTube channel "Memories of Fishing TV," was selected as a reference person for the audit of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety concerning issues related to imported food testing and analysis. Additionally, Kim Yonghyun and Hwang Doyeon, CEOs of Carrot Market, were selected as reference persons for Q&A regarding the trading of secondhand pharmaceuticals.

The Health and Welfare Committee's National Assembly audit is scheduled to begin on the 11th with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, followed by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the 13th, the National Health Insurance Service and the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service on the 18th, and is expected to conclude on the 25th.

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