'Butter-Free Butterbeer Controversy' First Trial... CEO Park Yong-in "No Possibility of Misunderstanding"

Suspected Violation of the Food Labeling and Advertising Act

Park Yong-in, CEO of Virtue Company, who has been embroiled in controversy over the "butterless butter beer," denied the charges at the first trial. Park is a member of the group Urban Zakapa.

A model is posing holding a butterbeer 'Boeur' at GS25.

At the first trial held on the morning of the 23rd at the Seoul Eastern District Court, Criminal Division 12, presided over by Judge Jung Eun-young, Park's side stated, "We deny the charges on the grounds that there is no possibility of misunderstanding and no intent." The next hearing is scheduled for June 20.

According to the prosecution, Park and Virtue Company are accused of distributing and selling four types of beer from May 2022 to January last year, and advertising on social media (SNS) in a way that could be mistaken as containing butter.

Earlier, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety issued a prior notice of a one-month suspension of beer manufacturing to the manufacturer Buruguru, and filed a complaint against the distributor Virtue Company for violating the Food Labeling and Advertising Act and for exaggerated advertising.