Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police to Conduct Region-Specific Illegal Activity Probes at 120 Large Restaurants from March 3 to 16

Gyeonggi Province will conduct intensive, region-specific investigations into large restaurants, including dining-out franchise outlets, to prevent food safety accidents and eradicate illegal practices.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Special Judicial Police Unit announced on the 12th that, in response to the recent increase in the use of large dining establishments such as buffet restaurants and family restaurants, it will carry out investigations from March 3 to March 16 at four investigation centers in Suwon, Uijeongbu, Bucheon, and Seongnam.

The investigation will cover a total of 120 establishments, including family restaurants, buffets, all-you-can-eat meat and sashimi buffets, and large drivers' restaurants, each with a floor area of at least 150 square meters.

The main inspection items are: using ingredients past their consumption-by date or storing them without a "for disposal" label; violating refrigeration and freezing standards for storing ingredients; failing to file notifications of changes to business floor area; and violations of country-of-origin labeling, such as labeling imported ingredients as domestically produced.

Graphic materials related to the Gyeonggi Provincial Special Judicial Police Unit's investigation into illegal activities at large restaurants

Under the current Act on Labeling of Origin, anyone who falsely labels the country of origin is subject to imprisonment for up to seven years or a fine of up to 100 million won, and anyone who violates standards related to the manufacture, processing, use, cooking, or preservation methods of food is subject to imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won.

In addition, the Food Sanitation Act stipulates that if a business operator fails to report important changes such as business floor area, or violates business compliance requirements by subdividing, transporting, displaying, or storing products or raw materials past their consumption-by date for the purpose of manufacturing, processing, cooking, or selling them, or by selling them, they may be punished by imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won in each case.

Kwon Munju, head of the Gyeonggi Provincial Special Judicial Police Unit, said, "Given the characteristics of large dining establishments, where mass cooking and ingredient management are critical, even minor negligence can lead to large-scale food poisoning incidents," adding, "Through this investigation, we will raise awareness of food safety and continue to manage and supervise the sector so that a sound dining-out culture can take root."