SEOUL, South Korea, July 24 (World Daily Times) — South Korean prosecutors have asked a court to send the owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul to prison for one year, saying the business broke the country’s Food Sanitation Act by serving dishes with imported ants.
The case has drawn attention because it blends food safety law, fine dining and a garnish that regulators say should not have been used that way.
What do prosecutors allege?
Prosecutors say the restaurant imported dried ant products from the United States and Thailand and used them on dishes for about four years, starting in 2021. In court, they said the ants were served in ant-topped sorbet more than 12,200 times, amounting to about 49,000 ants in total.
They also asked for a 20 million won fine for the restaurant’s operating company.
Why does the Food Sanitation Act matter?
The Food Sanitation Act is South Korea’s food-safety law. Prosecutors say the ant garnish violated that law because the ants were not allowed for use in the way the restaurant served them.
Health authorities also tested the imported ants, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. They said the samples contained heavy metals at levels up to 55 times the maximum allowed for other edible insects.
Officials said they became aware of the issue after seeing customers’ posts and online reviews showing or mentioning ants on dishes.
What does the restaurant owner say?
According to court reporting, the owner has admitted using ants, but disputes the prosecution’s numbers. The defense says the ants were used only in a small part of a 15-course menu and were optional for diners.
That means the main dispute is not over whether ants appeared on the menu, but over how often they were served and whether that use broke the law.
What happens next?
The court is expected to rule on Sept. 2, according to reporting on the proceedings.
Until then, the allegations remain accusations, not findings of fact. The court will decide whether the restaurant owner and the business are guilty under South Korean food-safety rules.
