<Anchor> More
than 130 people complained of food poisoning symptoms after using two kimbap restaurants in Bundang, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. It's two of the same franchise locations, and it's estimated that over a thousand customers visited and 4,200 lines of gimbap were sold over the course of a few days.
Correspondent Choi Seong-gil.
<Reporter> A
notice of closure and an apology are attached to the franchise kimbap restaurant.
Customers who ate gimbap here on the 29th and 30th of last month are showing symptoms of high fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
As of the evening of the 4th, 94 people reported suspected food poisoning, and 40 of them are being hospitalized.
It is known that this kimbap restaurant was open until last weekend despite complaints from customers.
[Nearby merchant: (open on weekends) and not since Monday.]
40 customers who visited the same franchise gimbap restaurant nearby are also complaining of food poisoning symptoms.
There were 134 suspected cases in only two places.
The two places have sold 4,200 lines of gimbap so far, and it is known that more than 1,000 customers have visited, so reports of damage are expected to increase.
The health authorities took samples from patients and kitchen utensils at the kimbap restaurant and started analysis.
[Seongnam City staff: (at the head office) I think he told me to dispose of all leftover ingredients after business. So now I only requested environmental samples such as knives, cutting boards, and dishcloths.]
As patients suspected of food poisoning pour in from the same franchise store, we are conducting an epidemiological investigation to see if there is a problem with the materials supplied to the headquarters.
Seongnam City will decide on administrative measures against the company after seeing the test results to be released early next week at the earliest.
(Video coverage: Jeil Seol Min-hwan, video editing: Won-hee Won)