Regular Chicken Disguised as Eco-Friendly Antibiotic-Free Chicken

The Hwaseong Seobu Police Station (Chief O Dong-uk) announced the arrest of a couple, Mr. Yun (40, male) and his wife, who are livestock product manufacturers and distributors, on charges of violating the Act on the Promotion and Management of Eco-Friendly Farming and Organic Foods. They illegally distributed 68 tons of chicken (worth 450 million won) by mixing cheap regular chicken with antibiotic-free eco-friendly chicken, packaging it, and distributing it for unjust profit.

Mr. Yun established an eco-friendly product manufacturing corporation under his name and a distribution and sales corporation under his wife's name. After obtaining eco-friendly agricultural product certification from the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service and 'HACCP' certification, from March to November this year, he distributed and sold cheap regular chicken disguised as antibiotic-free eco-friendly products to 2,497 kindergartens and child care centers nationwide (14,955 times).

Additionally, he packaged chicken pieces without reporting livestock product sales to related agencies, taking advantage of the difficulty in distinguishing the products and the fact that inspections by related agencies are conducted mostly through document reviews. He also demonstrated meticulous planning by establishing and operating the factory in a sparsely populated location to avoid crackdowns.

Police obtained relevant intelligence and conducted joint crackdowns with the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, seizing sales records and account books. Analysis of seized materials revealed that regular chicken and antibiotic-free chicken were mixed in a 53:47 ratio, manufactured and packaged as eco-friendly products, and distributed. By November, 68 tons of chicken (worth 450 million won) had been sold through eco-friendly food shops at 2,947 locations (14,955 times).

An official from the Hwaseong Seobu Police Station said, "This case has identified systemic problems in certification management such as eco-friendly agricultural product certification. We must sound an alarm regarding food material management distributed to kindergartens and child care centers nationwide to prevent additional damage."

Additionally, police plan to revoke the eco-friendly certification for the company and notify local governments of measures to dispose of the disguised products. They also plan to expand their investigation to other food material suppliers to determine if similar crimes have occurred.