South Korea faces rising food safety concerns in Incheon and Chinese imports

Food safety concerns are rising in South Korea regarding both domestic HACCP-certified manufacturers and imported goods from China.

In Incheon, the rate of food hygiene law violations among HACCP-certified manufacturers has ranked first in the country for two consecutive years. Data shows that while violations occurred, most were met only with corrective orders rather than stricter penalties. Some companies have been caught repeatedly over a five-year period, often for foreign object contamination. Notable cases include CJ CheilJedang's Incheon plant receiving a corrective order for plastic fragments found in dumplings, and Gate Gourmet Korea receiving fines in previous years.

Simultaneously, imports of food from China have increased by over 30% between 2021 and 2025. During this period, the number of Chinese manufacturing facilities failing local inspections by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety rose significantly, from one facility in 2021 to 13 in 2025. Critics point out that while the official non-compliance rate appears low, this may be due to a high volume of document-based inspections rather than rigorous physical testing of every shipment. There are calls for more transparent inspection data and stricter follow-up management for facilities that fail to meet safety standards.