"Don't Mislead on Seafood Origin" ... Masanhwoegwon-gu Launches Seafood Origin Inspection

Establishing Fair Distribution Order and Guaranteeing Consumers' Right to Know

Masan Hoewon-gu, Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, has launched a special inspection on seafood origin labeling ahead of Seollal, the traditional Korean holiday.

Inspecting the origin of seafood.

The main inspection targets are seafood retailers such as traditional markets and restaurants within the district. During the inspection, visits were made to seafood sales locations to provide guidance on origin labeling methods and distribute promotional materials.

The inspection, conducted from the 6th to the 7th, focused on items with increased import volumes and high frequency of origin violations, such as red sea bream, sea squirts, yellowtail, loach, and squid, especially for ritual and gift purposes. The inspection concentrated on false (fraudulent or confusing) origin labeling, failure to label origin, and violations of labeling methods.

Meanwhile, those who fail to label the origin of seafood are subject to fines ranging from 50,000 KRW to 10 million KRW. Additionally, those who falsely label or damage the origin label for the purpose of confusion may face imprisonment of up to 7 years or fines up to 100 million KRW, so special caution is required.

Hong Seong-ho, Director of the Forest and Agricultural Policy Division, stated, “In preparation for the Seollal holiday, we will strengthen guidance and enforcement so that tourists and citizens can purchase seafood with confidence, and we will continue to do our best to establish order in seafood distribution.”