"Fresh Chicken Fried Daily, No Maggots Possible"…Owner Completely Denies Allegations

Maggots Found in Whole Chicken Purchased at a Busan Snack Bar
Seller Says, "Impossible... We Fry Fresh Chicken Daily"
Busan Saha-gu, On-Site Investigation to Begin Today

Controversy has arisen after allegations that a snack bar in Busan sold chicken infested with maggots to a customer, but the owner of the chicken shop insists, "That is impossible," expressing a sense of injustice.

The chicken drumstick covered with maggots.
[Photo by Online Community]

On the 23rd, a post titled "An incident worthy of a broadcast program. Those who are eating, please do not look" was uploaded to an online community. The author, Mr. A, posted several photos of chicken purchased by his friend, saying, "If you have a weak stomach or are eating, please do not look."

In the photos posted by Mr. A, maggot eggs are seen clinging to the golden-fried chicken leg. They appear white and raised, as if fried together with the chicken. Mr. A said, "The moment my friend tore off the leg to eat the chicken, something white fell off, and a rotten smell was overwhelming," adding, "My friend said the chicken was already rotten and had maggots, but it seemed to have been fried whole. I don't know if this is acceptable in this day and age," expressing disapproval.

Mr. A also mentioned that his friend had sealed the problematic chicken well and was storing it in the freezer. He appealed, "I passed by the area on Monday afternoon and saw that the shop was still openly operating," and added, "My friend has developed trauma. He says he can't even eat out anymore."

In response, the owner denied the possibility of maggots in the chicken. Mr. B, the snack bar owner, told Hankook Ilbo in a phone interview, "We operate 24 hours a day and fry chicken every morning. Usually, the fried chicken is all sold out by the same day, so even if you come at 11 or 12 at night, you can't buy any," he claimed. He further explained, "Looking at the chicken in the photo, which appears very dry, it seems several days have passed since it was purchased. We receive fresh chicken and fry it daily, so the idea of maggots is nonsense."

Mr. B added, "I've been in business for over 20 years, but people in the same industry often play pranks, which makes it difficult," and explained, "If there were maggots, the buyer would have called at least once. They never came to visit or reached any agreement with us."

As the controversy grew, Saha District in Busan announced on the 26th that it plans to begin an on-site investigation within the day. An official stated, "We plan to conduct a comprehensive hygiene inspection, including whether raw meat was properly stored, the cooking process, and the condition of the ingredients."