MFDS: "When visiting the Jokbal restaurant in Bangbae-dong where feet were washed with luffa, they said 'What was bound to happen has come'"

Restaurant "Cleaned feet with the same scrubber used for radishes"... MFDS "Admits violations willingly"

A video of a jokbal restaurant in Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, criticized by netizens online for unhygienic radish washing. / Photo by Online Community

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The location of the controversial video showing unhygienic food ingredient management, such as rubbing feet with a scrubber used to clean radishes, has been revealed as a jokbal restaurant in Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. A Food and Drug Safety Ministry (MFDS) official who inspected the establishment said, "It seems the owner was already aware that the video was circulating."

Lee Seung-yong, Director of the Food Safety Policy Bureau at MFDS, said in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 30th, "When we arrived on site, the owner gave the impression of 'the inevitable has come' and readily admitted to various violations at that time."

Previously, on social media and online communities, a video spread showing a man soaking his feet in a basin containing radishes and then using the scrubber that had been used to wash his feet to clean the radishes again, sparking controversy over the unhygienic environment of the restaurant.

The MFDS identified the establishment by checking the vehicle number visible in the video and conducted an on-site inspection on the 27th. The inspection revealed that the restaurant had generally poor hygiene management, including using expired sauces and storing them for cooking purposes.

Director Lee explained, "The MFDS monitors harmful information, false or exaggerated advertisements, and other illegal activities circulating online daily. Upon recognizing the spread of the unhygienic radish washing video online, we immediately launched an investigation." He added, "The jokbal restaurant owner readily admitted to several violations and cooperated with the investigation."

Regarding the owner's recent claim in a media interview that the person in the video was an employee and that they were unaware of the unhygienic management, Director Lee said, "This is something that needs to be confirmed through further investigation," withholding further comment.

He continued, "Videos like this are very rare. Most establishments comply well with the Food Sanitation Act. This was an unusual and somewhat embarrassing video that is hard to find a precedent for."