Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Conduct Special Inspections on Seafood Country-of-Origin Labeling Ahead of Chuseok

Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will launch special inspections on the country-of-origin labeling of seafood running from tomorrow (the 7th) through the 18th.

The National Fishery Products Quality Management Service, local governments, and the Korea Coast Guard will participate in these inspections.

A joint public-private inspection team, consisting of investigators from the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service and civilian volunteer monitors, will also conduct on-site crackdowns.

The targets of the inspection include items in high demand for holiday ancestral rites and gifts, such as sea bream, croaker, hairtail, and octopus.

Squid, small octopus, and scallops, which carry a higher risk of false country-of-origin labeling, are also included as key targets for inspection.

The ministry plans to inspect not only seafood manufacturing, distribution, and sales companies, and general restaurants, but also online retailers, including delivery applications.

Country-of-origin enforcement will also be carried out at passenger terminals and restaurants aboard ships, where traffic increases during the Chuseok holiday.

Under the Act on Labeling of Country of Origin for Agricultural and Fishery Products, false country-of-origin labeling can lead to up to 7 years in prison or a fine of up to 100 million won.

Failure to label the country of origin can result in administrative fines of up to 10 million won.

The ministry emphasized, "We will intensively inspect ritual food supplies and items with a high likelihood of origin violations so that consumers can make purchases with peace of mind."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.