Uijeongbu-si Conducts Special Inspection on Origin Labeling Ahead of Seollal Holiday

Checking Compliance with Origin Labeling
Until the 24th

Uijeongbu City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Dong-geun) will conduct a special inspection from the 15th to the 24th to check compliance with origin labeling ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

A view of Uijeongbu City Hall. Provided by Uijeongbu City.

This inspection, aimed at establishing fair trade order, will focus on agricultural, livestock, and marine products used for ancestral rites and gifts, which have a high risk of origin labeling violations.

The items to be inspected include ancestral rite products expected to see a surge in consumption before the holiday, such as beef, pork, balloon flower root (doraji), bracken (gosari), dried persimmons (gotgam), jujubes, chestnuts, dried pollack (bukeo), as well as key seafood items like pollock, croaker, abalone, tilefish (okdom), live red sea bream (hwalchamdom), live yellowtail (hwalbang-eo), and live female snow crabs, along with rib sets, traditional Korean sweets (hangwa), ginseng, health supplements (including red ginseng and herbal medicines).

This inspection will focus on verifying whether origin labeling is displayed based on the sale date, checking for confusion or double labeling, and confirming whether the inspected items are stored separately and distinctly. Additionally, the origin labeling on sales outlets will be cross-checked against transaction statements.

Responsible officials and honorary origin labeling monitors will conduct surprise inspections and combine on-site checks with monitoring of electronic media such as online markets and delivery apps. The inspection targets include wholesale and retail businesses, mail-order sales, restaurants, and ready-to-eat food vendors.

False origin labeling is punishable by imprisonment of up to 7 years or a fine of up to 100 million KRW, and failure to label origin will result in fines ranging from a minimum of 50,000 KRW to a maximum of 10 million KRW.

In particular, those who falsely label origin two or more times within five years will face aggravated penalties of imprisonment from 1 to 10 years or fines ranging from a minimum of 5 million KRW to a maximum of 150 million KRW.

Kim Jong-mi, Director of the Urban Agriculture Division, stated, “By inspecting the implementation status of the origin labeling system, we will create a transparent distribution environment and a safe consumption environment where consumers can purchase with confidence.”