Key facts
- Prosecutors requested a one-year prison sentence for the owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul.
- The restaurant is accused of violating South Korea's food sanitation act by serving ants in a dessert.
- Only 10 insect species are approved for food use in South Korea; ants are not among them.
- The restaurant allegedly generated 120 million won in revenue from the ant-topped dessert over four years.
- The defense argued the chef was unaware of the law and that ants are used in other countries.
Prosecutors in South Korea have requested a one-year prison sentence and a 20 million won fine for the company running a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul. The owner is accused of violating the country's food sanitation act by serving a dessert topped with ants, an insect not approved for consumption. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety initiated an investigation after discovering mentions of ant dishes on social media.
Under South Korean law, only 10 specific insect species are permitted for food use, and ants are not among them. Businesses must obtain temporary approval for unapproved insects, a step the restaurant allegedly failed to take. Prosecutors claim the restaurant imported dried ants from the United States and Thailand and served them on dishes for approximately four years, generating about 120 million won in revenue from roughly 12,200 servings.
The defense contested the prosecution's figures, arguing that only about 60% of customers accepted the ant topping and that the ants were used on a limited number of dishes. They also pointed out that ants are used as ingredients in restaurants in countries like Denmark, the UK, and Australia. The defense stated the chef, who had experience using ants in the US and Europe, was unaware that doing so was illegal in South Korea. Sentencing is scheduled for September 2.