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Our coverage confirmed that the CEO of a famous Chinese restaurant, Din Tai Fung, is being tried for illegally distributing 2.4 million frozen dumplings without certification. Din Tai Fung's side completely denies the allegations, but the fact that the prosecutor at the time moved to a large law firm that defended the company during the investigation is another controversial issue.



This is an exclusive report by reporter Ahn Hee-jae.



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Din Tai Fung is a Chinese restaurant that is widely known for its dim sum restaurant.



It was later revealed that Mr. Kim, the CEO of this place, was handed over to trial on charges of violating the Food Sanitation Act in August.



According to the current law, to make and sell frozen dumplings, food safety management certification, so-called HACCP certification, is required.



It was revealed that Din Tai Fung had been selling uncertified dumplings for over three and a half years from 2016 until it was caught by the Food and Drug Administration.



Previously, dumplings were frozen and supplied to each store in a manufacturing plant that met the strict HACCP certification standards, but without certification, the dumplings were made and frozen at the Myeongdong main store and then supplied to other stores.



The uncertified dumplings sold in this way were 2.4 million pieces, equivalent to 3.6 billion won in market value, and the prosecution determined that Din Tai Fung used an expedient to reduce the cost of maintaining HACCP.



In particular, we caught the situation where the superiors intervened in this decision and prosecuted CEO Kim without detention along with two employees in charge.



Din Tai Fung denies the allegations.



At that time, the executives proceeded with their work without any report, and the management, who found a mistake in the internal audit, immediately received HACCP recertification.



He also said that there was no undue advantage and that the standards regulating frozen dumplings were ambiguous, and that he would argue with the law.



[Din Tai Fung official: It's not for long-term preservation, (the prosecution) thinks it's frozen dumplings just because it's frozen.

Because the operational part that takes place in the field is done by the team leader and managers…

There has been no harm done to the consumer...

.] With the



first trial started recently, it was also revealed that in June, when the investigation was in full swing, the chief prosecutor A suddenly moved to a lawyer at a law firm in charge of defending Din Tai Fung.



[Park Young-min / Executive Director of the Judicial Surveillance Center of the Solidarity of Participation: (Related to the controversy over 'Private Allegiance') There is virtually nothing that can be prevented by the system...

Isn't it necessary to raise ethical awareness in the legal society as a whole?

.] In



a phone call with SBS, Mr. A said, "I left the prosecution for personal reasons, and after moving to a law firm, I was not involved in the Din Tai Fung case at all."



The law firm submitted a resignation to the court last month before the trial began in earnest.



(Video coverage: Seo Jin-ho, Hong Jong-su, Kim Yong-woo, Video editing: Yoon Tae-ho)