Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
2 arrested for cutting Korean chili powder with cheaper Chinese ingredients
gettyimagesbank
By Jung Min-ho
A chili powder maker and his business partner have been arrested for allegedly mixing their made-in-Korea product with cheaper Chinese ingredients and lying about the country of origin to generate more profits.
According to the office of the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service in South Chungcheong Province, Monday, the two suspects now face indictment on charges of making 4.1 billion won ($3 million) in ill-gotten gains between March 2022 and this February by labeling the blend only as Korean-made.
More than 1,500 tons of such products — worth 23.1 billion won — had been sold to kimchi makers and other food companies nationwide during that period.
In doing so, they allegedly doctored books to seem as if the Chinese chili powder had been sold lawfully to other customers.
Kang Hee-joong, director at the regional branch of the quality-control agency, said he would continue to keep a watchful eye out for such fraudulent practices.