SEOUL, South Korea, July 24 (World Daily Times) — South Korean prosecutors are asking a court to sentence the owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul to one year in prison, saying he broke the country’s food-safety law by serving ants as a dish garnish and ingredient.
The case has drawn attention because it mixes a high-end dining scene with a criminal charge under South Korea’s Food Sanitation Act. Prosecutors also want the restaurant’s operating company fined 20 million won.
What prosecutors say happened
According to prosecutors and court records cited in local reporting, the restaurant began using dried ants imported from the United States and Thailand in 2021. Prosecutors say the practice continued for about four years.
They estimate that ant-topped sorbet was served more than 12,200 times, for a total of about 49,000 ants.
The alleged violation came to light after food inspectors reviewed customers’ social-media posts and online reviews that showed or mentioned ants on dishes, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as described in the reporting.
Why do the ants matter legally?
The case turns on South Korea’s Food Sanitation Act, which prosecutors say bars the use of the ants in the way they were served here.
Health regulators reportedly tested the imported ants and found heavy metals at levels up to 55 times the maximum limit allowed for other edible insects. That finding helped fuel the prosecution’s case, but the underlying laboratory report was not included in the materials reviewed for this story.
In simple terms, the legal issue is not just that ants were served. Prosecutors say the restaurant used imported ant products in a way that violated food-safety rules, and that the ants themselves failed safety testing.
What does the defense say?
The owner has admitted serving ants, according to the court reporting, but disputes the prosecution’s scale of the alleged conduct.
Defense lawyers say the ants were only a small part of a 15-course menu and that diners could choose other toppings. That means the dispute is partly about whether the ants were a central menu item or a limited, optional garnish.
What penalties are being sought?
- one year in prison for the restaurant owner
- a 20 million won fine for the operating company
The court is expected to issue a ruling on Sept. 2, according to the reporting.
Why this case has gotten so much attention
The restaurant is described in reporting as Michelin-starred, and some outlets identify it as a two-Michelin-star venue in Seoul’s Gangnam district. That status has helped turn a food-safety case into a broader story about reputation, luxury dining and criminal liability.
For now, though, the case remains an allegation. Prosecutors say the restaurant broke the law; the defense says the prosecution has overstated what happened. The court will decide the outcome.
