SEOUL, South Korea, July 24 (World Daily Times) — South Korean prosecutors are seeking a one-year prison term for the owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul, accusing the business of serving ants as food ingredients in violation of South Korea’s Food Sanitation Act. Prosecutors are also asking for a 20 million won fine for the company that runs the restaurant.
What is the case about?
In court filings, 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. They say one dish, ant-topped sorbet, was served more than 12,200 times and that the total number of ants used came to about 49,000.
The case is not about whether ants can be eaten in general. It centers on whether the restaurant used ingredients in a way that broke South Korea’s food-safety rules. Prosecutors say that under the Food Sanitation Act, the restaurant was not allowed to use the ant products it brought in.
How did officials find out?
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, inspectors became aware of the issue after seeing customers’ social-media posts and online reviews that showed or mentioned ants on dishes. Health authorities then tested the imported ant products.
Those tests, officials said, found heavy metals at levels up to 55 times the maximum limit allowed for other edible insects. The reports provided did not include the full laboratory document, but the finding was cited by prosecutors and health regulators as part of the case.
What does the owner say?
The owner has admitted using ants, according to court reporting, but disputes the prosecutors’ estimate of how many were served. The defense says the ants were only a small part of a 15-course menu and that diners could choose other toppings.
That position matters because the case turns not only on whether ants were served, but also on how the restaurant describes them, how often they were used, and whether they were part of an optional garnish or a regular ingredient.
What happens next?
The court is expected to rule on Sept. 2. Until then, the prosecutors’ request for jail time is only that: a request. The judge will decide whether the evidence is enough to support a conviction and, if so, what punishment is appropriate.
The case has drawn attention because the restaurant is described as Michelin-starred, but the legal issue is straightforward: whether a high-end dining room can still break the law if it serves a prohibited ingredient.
