Incheon authorities crack down on seafood origin mislabeling

Incheon Metropolitan City's special judicial police have identified 16 businesses for violating seafood origin labeling regulations. The crackdown was conducted between September 7 and 16 as part of a concentrated inspection of approximately 100 traditional markets and seafood retailers ahead of the Chuseok holiday.

Key violations included mislabeling Chinese sea cucumbers as domestic products, labeling Chinese octopus and rockfish in a manner that could mislead consumers into believing they were domestic, and failing to provide origin labels for various seafood and dried goods altogether.

Under the Act on Origin Labeling of Agricultural and Fishery Products, businesses that falsely label or mislead consumers regarding origin face criminal penalties of up to seven years in prison or fines of up to 100 million won. Those failing to label products or violating labeling methods may face administrative fines. Incheon authorities plan to pursue criminal charges for fraudulent labeling and impose fines for non-labeling violations.