Restaurant Serving Jjamppong with Cockroaches Finally Receives Business Suspension

"Will Deduct Fried Rice Cost" but Owner Refuses to Apologize
Complaint Filed with Relevant Agency via National Sinmungo

Recently, after a cockroach was found in the jjambbong broth at a Chinese restaurant and the owner's response was criticized as inadequate, it was reported that the person who experienced the incident reported it to the authorities, resulting in administrative sanctions against the restaurant.

On the 17th, a post titled "Found a cockroach in jjambbong broth while eating at a restaurant" was uploaded on an online community. The author, Mr. A, wrote that while dining with a friend at a Chinese restaurant, ordering sweet and sour pork and fried rice, they discovered a cockroach in the jjambbong broth served as a complimentary dish. In the photos he posted, a bug presumed to be a cockroach can be seen floating in a bowl with only some broth left. Mr. A also posted another photo where he had scooped the bug out and placed it in a different bowl, showing detailed features such as antennae on the insect.

A cockroach found in the jjambbong broth.
Photo by Online Community Capture

Mr. A said that not only was it unpleasant to find a cockroach in the food, but the restaurant's handling of the situation made him feel even worse. He said, "I called the part-time worker and told them (about the cockroach), and they said they would ask the owner. After a while, they said, 'We'll deduct the price of one fried rice.' The owner never appeared in person or apologized." He added, "(The refund) was done, but I paid the full price for the food and wrapped the cockroach in tissue to take it with me. Where should I report this?" seeking opinions from netizens.

Some netizens doubted the story, questioning if it was a "hoax" because there was no apology. However, Mr. A posted a follow-up titled "Intermediate report on jjambbong cockroach" the next day. He said that after going through the reporting procedure, he was notified that an investigation would be conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. He attached screenshots of text messages received from the National Sinmungo (a government complaint portal) and the Food Safety Information Center, the responsible agency. He also said that when he called the agency to ask if he needed to keep the cockroach, he was told, "Please keep it for now," and that he was carefully storing it.

Foreign Object (Cockroach) Found in Food Complaint Handling Result Text Message [Image Source=Online Community Capture]

Four days after filing the complaint, on the 21st, Mr. A received a KakaoTalk message with the complaint processing notice. The message stated, "As a result of the inspection, it was confirmed that foreign substances were mixed in the food provided by the business, and the business was found to be in violation of the Food Sanitation Act, with administrative sanctions planned." Mr. A shared the news that the restaurant received a five-day business suspension.

Upon hearing this, netizens responded with comments such as, "If the business is suspended, they should post a sign in front of the store saying 'Suspended due to cockroach,'" "If they had handled it well from the start," "The business suspension is a big blow, but the damage to their image is even more serious," and "Shouldn't the author file a civil lawsuit? They might never want to eat Chinese food again and could suffer serious mental distress."

Meanwhile, before the administrative sanctions were imposed, the restaurant owner explained to JTBC, "I should have refunded everything and apologized, but because I was busy, I told the part-time worker to just deduct the price of one fried rice." Regarding the cockroach in the food, he said, "I think it's because the weather has been getting warmer lately," and added, "It seems the cockroach came along with the vegetables ordered."

When parasites, metal, or glass are found in cooked food at restaurants, the business is suspended for 2 to 7 days; if animal carcasses or blades are found, the suspension is 5 to 20 days; and for other foreign substances, the suspension is 3 days.

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