Intensive Inspection of Origin Labeling for Seafood Such as Gulbi During Lunar New Year Holiday

"Focused Crackdown on Non-Face-to-Face Telecommunication Sales Expanded Due to COVID-19"

The scene of origin labeling enforcement. (Photo by Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 24th that the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service will conduct a special crackdown on violations of seafood origin labeling from the 25th of this month to the 10th of next month.

The special crackdown is being implemented to protect domestic fishermen and the fisheries industry struggling due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and to ensure that the public can purchase seafood with confidence.

Before the Seollal holiday, the crackdown will focus mainly on items expected to see increased demand for ancestral rites and gifts such as gulbi (dried yellow corvina) and domryu (sea bream species), items with a high possibility of origin violations due to increased imports such as live yellowtail and live scallops, and items with a high frequency of violations over the past five years such as live eel, dried mackerel pike (Gwamegi), and live whelk.

Seafood manufacturers, distributors, retailers, restaurants, traditional markets, delivery app franchises, and online sales businesses will be intensively inspected. The crackdown will focus on violations such as failure to label origin, incorrect labeling methods, and false labeling.

In particular, as non-face-to-face purchases have increased due to COVID-19, origin labeling guidance and crackdowns will be strengthened in online sales channels such as delivery apps, home shopping, and local shopping malls. If violations are confirmed, special judicial police officers and investigative officials from 14 regional offices of the management service will be deployed for on-site inspections.

Regional crackdown teams organized into four zones?capital area, central region, Yeongnam region, and Honam region?will also conduct planned crackdowns to eradicate violations by large distribution and processing companies.

If caught falsely labeling the origin, offenders face imprisonment of up to 7 years or fines up to 100 million KRW. Especially, if false labeling occurs two or more times within five years, aggravated punishment applies with imprisonment from 1 to 10 years or fines ranging from 50 million KRW to 150 million KRW.

Failure to label the origin results in fines ranging from 50,000 KRW to 10 million KRW.

Yang Dongyeop, Director of the management service, urged, "Please be sure to check the origin labeling when purchasing seafood and actively report any suspicious origin labeling." Reports can be made by calling 1899-2112 or via the KakaoTalk channel 'Susanmul Wonsanji Pyosi' (Seafood Origin Labeling).