"Please Remove 'Mayak' from Restaurant Names"... Legal Grounds to Be Established

Revision of the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Food Passed
MFDS "Amendment Promoted to Raise Awareness of Drug Risks"

Concerns have been raised that the indiscriminate use of the term "mayak" (meaning "drug") in names such as "mayak gimbap" and "mayak tteokbokki" lowers the public's aversion to drugs. In response, a legal basis has been established to recommend refraining from using this term.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), 11 legislative amendments, including revisions to the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foods, were passed at the National Assembly plenary session on the 8th, containing these provisions.

Under the new amendments, the MFDS or local governments will recommend that business operators avoid using drug-related terms in food labeling and advertising. Additionally, if business operators wish to change existing drug-related labels or advertisements, local governments may provide financial support for the costs involved.

The MFDS stated, "The amendment was promoted to block the perception of drug-related terms as positive or friendly in everyday life and to raise social awareness about drugs."

There have been ongoing concerns that the overuse of the term "mayak" in food names or business titles causes younger generations to take drugs lightly.

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Some argue for restricting or banning the use of drug-related terms in product names, but opponents contend that the term "mayak" alone cannot be definitively said to threaten public order.

Earlier in March, Park Se-won, a member of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly from the Democratic Party, proposed the "Ordinance on the Protection of the Educational Environment by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education," which called for the education superintendent and school principals to inspect and publicly disclose the use of product names or business titles that severely violate social ethics, such as drug-related terms, within student safety zones (within 200 meters of schools), and recommend improvements. However, the proposal was postponed.

Prior to that, in August 2022, Kwon Eun-hee of the People Power Party introduced a partial amendment to the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foods to prohibit the use of expressions such as "mayak" in food names.

In May, during a consultation with local governments, the MFDS announced, "We will actively recommend that food companies and restaurant operators refrain from using the word 'mayak' in business names and product names when submitting food service business registration or processed food manufacturing reports to local governments."

Although local governments have initiated guidance activities to discourage the use of "mayak" in restaurant names, some businesses have expressed resistance, citing costs associated with changing signage. In response, local governments have requested the MFDS to establish related guidelines or legal grounds to support expenses such as sign replacement costs.

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