The district imposed a seven-day suspension on a restaurant in Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province, where the 'fatty pork belly' controversy arose.
According to Ulleung County and others on the 27th, the county issued a business suspension order for the restaurant that became controversial over fatty pork belly from the 25th to the 31st.
The controversy began when travel YouTuber 'Kkujun,' who has 580,000 subscribers as of the 27th, posted a video titled 'Is Ulleungdo really like this? I was quite taken aback on my first visit' on his YouTube channel on the 19th. The video currently has over 2.76 million views.
In the video, the YouTuber visited a meat restaurant for dinner, where pork belly was served that was more than half white fat. When the YouTuber asked a restaurant staff member, 'Did you intentionally serve the fat like this?' the employee replied, 'We don't cut it like land meat into pieces; we slice it thickly and serve it artificially.'
The employee continued, 'Compared to others, our fat comes out less. Initially, we refuse, but when grilled, it tastes good.' The pork belly is reportedly 15,000 won for a 120g serving.
When the controversy arose, the meat restaurant issued a statement through a media interview, saying, '(While I went to the hospital) a staff member mistakenly cut the front leg meat that was set aside next to me,' and added, 'It is largely my fault for not supervising the staff. I apologize for causing trouble to all of Ulleungdo.'
Ulleung County Mayor Nam Han-gwon also expressed an official position on the 22nd, stating, 'I express deep responsibility and sincere apologies regarding the overall quality and pricing issues of the tourist services known through online platforms.'
On the 23rd, he also stated through social media, 'I sincerely apologize to the residents and all those visiting Ulleung.' He noted that the county would strengthen its hygiene management system to create an environment where both residents and tourists can feel safe.