Controversy has arisen after a video of a company with a 'kimchi master' as its CEO making kimchi with defective ingredients was released.
The company immediately apologized and closed the factory in question in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, and then stopped all other manufacturing plants, but the controversy has not subsided.
Hansung Foods, a kimchi manufacturer, issued an apology today (23rd) in the name of CEO Kim Soon-ja and apologized for causing deep concern to consumers regarding the hygiene issue of kimchi manufacturing of its subsidiary Hyowon reported on the 22nd.
"Regardless of the current legal disposition, we have immediately closed the factory and started to investigate the cause," he said.
Hansung Foods also said, "We will quickly implement our own detailed inspection and an external expert's precise diagnosis so that there will be no doubt or shame." added.
The day before, a broadcasting company released a video of unsanitary conditions, such as workers trimming discolored cabbage and moldy radish at a kimchi factory operated by a subsidiary of Hansung Food.
In the report, Hansung Foods explained, "The parts that are rotten or inedible were completely discarded during the material handling process and were not used in the finished kimchi."
In this regard, it is reported that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is currently conducting an on-site investigation into the factory.
CEO Kim has been developing patented kimchi, such as mini-roll bossam kimchi and seaweed kimchi, in addition to Korean traditional kimchi since being designated as the No. 1 Kimchi Master by the government in 2007.
Meanwhile, taste columnist Hwang Gyo-ik demanded on Facebook, "The government wants Kim Soon-ja to be stripped of his food name license right away."
(Photo = provided by Hansung Food, Yonhap News)