Controversy has erupted after images showed multiple insect larvae floating in a meal served at a daycare center in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi.
10th, a post on social media (SNS) said, "A photo of maggots was uploaded to the Songtan daycare center's Kids Note," along with a photo of a meal tray. The photo shows several larvae floating in scorched rice.
The poster said it was "a bug photo uploaded to Kids Note," expressing anger by noting, "This is what the meal served in front of the children looks like; what must it be like in reality?" The post quickly spread through local moms' cafes and online communities.
Parents in the area poured out reactions such as, "I am sending my child right now, and I am anxious," and "I plan to send my child next year, and I am worried." One parent pointed out, "If even a photo for show looks like this, the actual hygiene of the meals could be more serious."
A netizen who introduced himself as an official at a pest control company analyzed the insect in the photo as appearing to be "Indianmeal moth (rice moth) larvae."
The person said, "What is commonly called maggots are fly larvae, and this case involves moth larvae, a grain pest," adding, "Contamination may have occurred during rice management, or scorched rice already containing larvae may have been used." The person continued, explaining, "What looks like a cluster of several is due to the silk the larvae pull when making cocoons."
Some questioned the intent behind the photo. Some offered interpretations such as, "Wasn't it deliberately shot to make the bugs stand out?" and "It seems they tried to prompt parents' reactions for internal whistleblowing." Others also raised the opinion that "the photo itself could be fabricated."
As the controversy grew, Pyeongtaek City launched an investigation into the daycare center, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety was also said to have checked the rice storage conditions and ingredient expiration dates. The daycare center is currently awaiting the results of administrative action.
The government conducts regular hygiene inspections twice a year on daycare centers nationwide, but critics have consistently noted that because the inspection schedule is notified in advance, the process is effectively a formality.