The National Fishery Products Quality Management Service said on the 29th that it referred seafood distributor A to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Act on Labeling of Origin of Agricultural and Fishery Products.
A is suspected of disguising about 72 tons of Chinese frozen freshwater eel as domestic and selling it for about one year and six months from July 2024 to December 2025. The person allegedly deceived buyers by selling Chinese frozen freshwater eel worth 2.6 billion won on an online shopping mall as if it were "domestic, prepared the same day."
According to the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service, this case is a crime aimed at profiting from the price gap between domestic and Chinese freshwater eel. It harmed domestic aquaculture farms that have been struggling due to the recent drop in prices of domestic freshwater eel.
Director Jo Il-hwan of the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service said, "To protect producers and consumers, we will share information and communicate with related organizations such as the Korea Freshwater Eel Producers Association and carry out effective crackdowns," adding, "If a violation of origin labeling is suspected, please actively report it via the tip line or the Kakao seafood origin labeling channel on KakaoTalk."