Yeosu City to Conduct Comprehensive Restaurant Inspections from August 11 to 14 Amidst Declining Tourism Image

Yeosu City in South Jeolla Province will conduct a comprehensive inspection in response to a series of incidents involving unkind and unsanitary practices at local restaurants that have damaged the city's tourism image.

According to Yeosu City on August 9, the city will inspect the hygiene conditions and customer service at all restaurants in the area from August 11 to 14.

The inspection team will consist of 42 groups and 84 members, including public health center officials and consumer food hygiene monitors. They will check for the reuse of leftover food, storage conditions of ingredients, compliance with expiration dates, kitchen cleanliness, and personal hygiene management of employees.

Yeosu City plans to designate establishments that have received complaints about poor hygiene or unkind service as priority management targets. The city also announced that it will provide service training, including friendly customer service, preparation of single-dining tables, and a ban on requiring solo diners to order two servings. A Yeosu City official stated, "We will respond strictly to establishments with poor hygiene in accordance with a zero-tolerance policy," and added, "We will do our best to restore trust in the overall food culture and improve the city's tourism image."

In Yeosu, a well-known restaurant drew criticism for telling a YouTuber dining alone after ordering two servings to "eat quickly," and a resort-style hotel that charges 400,000 won per night was condemned for providing a towel labeled "rag" to a guest. On August 7, more than 200 restaurant and accommodation business owners, along with Yeosu City and hygiene association officials, held a resolution meeting to promote kindness. However, on August 8, another incident occurred when a restaurant in Gyodong was caught reusing leftover food. Yeosu City conducted an emergency hygiene inspection of the establishment, imposed a 15-day business suspension, and plans to file criminal charges for violating the Food Sanitation Act.