This article was published on April 15, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. on the ChosunBiz RM Report site.
There are growing calls to strengthen penalties for violations related to the 'livestock traceability system,' which allows for the easy verification of the birth and slaughter history of livestock products such as cattle, pigs, chickens, and ducks. The livestock traceability system has been in effect since 2008, and over the past five years, there have been 2,821 violations related to this system, with an average of 564 violations detected annually.
According to the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service on the 15th, the number of false representations detected in the livestock traceability system from January to April this year has reached 150. This includes 41 cases of beef, 82 cases of pork, 18 cases of chicken, and 9 cases of duck, all of which falsely indicated their place of origin. Among these, 9 cases also falsely represented traceability information about domestic beef. This is termed 'grade-switching,' where the traceability information of higher-grade animals is manipulated to inflate their status illegally, such as converting a grade 3 Korean beef to a grade 1.
The livestock traceability system records and manages the history from the production of cattle, pigs, chickens, and ducks to their slaughter and distribution. It was introduced to enable quick tracing of the distribution route and investigation of causes and recall actions in case of hygiene and safety issues. Additionally, it helps consumers easily access relevant information when purchasing livestock products.
Starting with the beef traceability system in 2008, the system was subsequently applied to pork in 2014 and to chicken and duck in 2020. While the United States, France, and Australia manage traceability only up to the breeding and slaughter stages, in South Korea, the system includes the distribution and sale stages, featuring DNA identity testing.
The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service and local governments are monitoring whether the traceability numbers indicated on livestock products match the actual numbers assigned at birth or slaughter. This includes cross-referencing transaction documents and packaging or conducting DNA identity tests on suspected cases of substitution. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, DNA identity tests are conducted about 6,000 times a year.
Consumers can check detailed information by querying the traceability number written on the barcode sticker on products through a mobile app or the website of the livestock traceability information system. For example, checking the Korean beef traceability number will reveal details such as place of birth, lineage, gender, the duration of rearing at the farm, disease management, vaccination history, feed records, slaughterhouse information, slaughter date, and hygiene inspection details.
The problem lies in the fact that there are many cases of false representation or omission of traceability numbers. According to data submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to the National Assembly last January on 'recent detection status over the past five years following the enforcement of the livestock traceability system,' the number of detections has reached 2,821. The breakdown includes 654 cases in 2020, 610 in 2021, 438 in 2022, 565 in 2023, and 554 in 2024. Notably, among the violations in 2023, 483 cases involved false representation of traceability numbers.
Consequently, there are calls to increase penalties for false representation of traceability numbers. Current laws impose fines of up to 5 million won or administrative fines for those who falsely indicate traceability numbers. In November of last year, Lee Byeong-jin, a member of the Democratic Party, proposed a partial amendment to the law regarding the management of livestock and livestock products' traceability system that aims to increase the penalty to 'up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won.'
A representative from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs noted, 'In similar cases, fines in the United States range from $1,000 to $10,000 (approximately 1.45 million to 14.5 million won), while in Australia, fines range from $22,000 to $110,000 (approximately 20 million to 100 million won).' The amendment proposed by the legislator has passed review by the relevant committee in the National Assembly's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Fisheries this past February.
An industry representative stated, 'If meat processing or distribution companies illegally misuse the traceability numbers of higher-grade animals, consumers have no choice but to be deceived,' adding that, 'Penalties should be strengthened and monitoring should be enhanced to reduce violations.'