601 restaurants to lose ‘exemplary’ status

By Yun Suh-young

Due to poor sanitary management some 600 eateries in Seoul once designated as “exemplary” restaurants will be stripped off the honor.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday that it advised district offices to cancel the distinction of 601 restaurants around the capital. The restaurants had scored poorly on sanitation ratings with scores far below 60 out of 100, according to the city government.

Sanitation ratings were based on hygienic conditions of the tables and seats, restrooms, kitchens and food preservation statuses, as well as the personal hygiene of staff.

Evaluations on cleanliness were conducted between May and September this year on 3,372 restaurants designated exemplary or “Seoul’s proud Korean restaurants” by the city or district offices.

The survey showed the average score was 72. For those restaurants that scored over 70 points, the city will distribute notice boards printed with their level of sanitation to display at their stores. For those that scored over 90, it will list them online on the Food Safety Information website at https://fsi.seoul.go.kr.

“We will continue to monitor the sanitary conditions of restaurants in Seoul every year to recommend the best ones and help them serve as models for others,” a city spokesman said.