The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Tuesday it had revised and promulgated the enforcement decree of the Food Sanitation Act, replacing a corrective order for a first violation with a five-day suspension effective immediately.
Under the revised rules, an establishment that fails to post a price list or charges more than the displayed price will face a five-day suspension on first detection, 10 days on a second and 20 days on a third.
The previous decree imposed suspensions of seven and 15 days for repeat offenders and let first-time violators off with a warning.
"Existing administrative sanctions stopped at corrective orders, which had limits in preventing consumer harm," a ministry official said.
The measure is a follow-up to the anti-price-gouging package that nine ministries unveiled jointly on Feb. 25 at a presidential tourism strategy meeting.
The revision also streamlines administrative procedures for food business operators, scrapping the requirement to attach original documents when changing licensing or registration details and removing the obligation to retain a business registration certificate.
Special facility standards allowing producer groups to sell food made from domestic farm produce were extended to fisheries groups.
Fish products, vinegar and starch were added to the list of foods that instant-sale processors may sell by the portion, while the ministry clarified fee-reduction criteria for electronic civil applications and standards for temporary business filings.
The revision follows viral videos and news reports of traditional markets, including Gwangjang Market, mired with vendors padding orders, urging authorities to take measures against overcharging.
AJP Takeaways
• South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety revised the Food Sanitation Act enforcement decree on Sept. 1, imposing a business suspension on the first instance of restaurant overcharging, replacing the previous corrective order.
• First-time violators who fail to post prices or charge above the displayed amount now face a five-day suspension, rising to 10 days for a second offense and 20 days for a third, up from seven and 15 days previously.
• The revision follows the anti-price-gouging package nine ministries announced on Feb. 25 and a series of overcharging scandals at Seoul's Gwangjang Market that damaged the reputation of traditional markets.
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