Law Against Junk Food Takes Effect
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
A law to protect children from junk food took effect Sunday, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said.
Under the law, ``unhealthy food’’ cannot be sold within a radius of 200 meters from primary and secondary schools.
It is the Korean government’s first attempt to introduce a law to halt the rising obesity and health problems among teenagers.
However, the list of outlawed foodstuffs ― those high in calories and low on nutrition ― has yet to be decided, but noodles and fried chicken have already been removed from it.
In addition, food authorities were earlier thwarted in an attempt to restrict fast food ads on TV under the new law.
The obesity rate among Korean students has been rising in tandem with the growing number of fast food stores.