Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police to Intensively Crack Down on Online Sellers of Chuseok Seasonal Products

Gyeonggi Province will conduct an intensive investigation of 360 online sellers of Chuseok seasonal food products from September 15 to 26, ahead of the Chuseok holiday.

This investigation is a preemptive measure to secure safe food that residents can trust and consume, reflecting the reality that purchases of ritual items and Chuseok gift sets through online channels are increasing due to the expansion of contactless consumption culture.

The main focus of the investigation includes: ▲ storage of products past their expiration date ▲ violations of standards and specifications ▲ violations of labeling standards ▲ unregistered business operations ▲ and false indication of origin, among others.

Poster Announcing Intensive Investigation of Illegal Activities by Online Sellers of Chuseok Seasonal Products by Gyeonggi Provincial Special Judicial Police Unit

Under the current Food Sanitation Act, storing products past their expiration date or failing to conduct self-quality inspections is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won. Violating business compliance requirements, such as failing to prepare production and work logs or documents related to raw material inventory, is also subject to the same penalties. In addition, under the Act on Labeling of Origin, false or misleading indications of origin are punishable by up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 100 million won.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Special Judicial Police Unit urged consumers to carefully check expiration dates, origins, and product information when purchasing food online, and to immediately report any suspicious products or sales activities.

Ki Ido, head of the Gyeonggi Provincial Special Judicial Police Unit, stated, "Although online food transactions are rapidly increasing, various illegal activities such as selling expired products, failing to conduct quality inspections, and falsely labeling origins are also on the rise. Food is not just a commodity but an issue directly linked to the health and lives of residents. Therefore, we will adhere to a zero-tolerance policy and respond without compromise to any illegal activities related to food."