SEOUL: A Michelin-starred restaurant owner in South Korea’s Gangnam district has been fined for using ants as a dessert garnish.
The owner of the restaurant, identified by news outlets The Guardian and BBC as two-Michelin-starred restaurant Evett in Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district, was fined 15 million won (US$11,000) by the Seoul Western District Court on Sept 16.
The restaurant’s operating company was also fined 10 million won.
The owner, surnamed Kim, was charged with importing dried ants from the United States and Thailand and using them as a garnish on a sherbet dessert at the restaurant from April 2021 to January 2026.
Ants are not among the 10 insect species that can be used as a food ingredient in South Korea. Those approved for use under the country’s food safety regulations include grasshoppers and some silkworms.
Prosecutors had sought a one-year prison sentence for Kim on July 20, but the court took into account the restaurant owner’s admission to wrongdoing and no prior criminal record into account.
The court noted that the restaurant had promoted the dessert and that the ants used in the dish contained heavy metal levels exceeding the legal threshold, saying the offence could not be considered a minor crime.
The authorities found that about 49,000 ants were served to 12,274 customers over four years, generating roughly 120 million won in revenue.
There were 21 cases of Michelin Guide-listed restaurants in South Korea violating food safety regulations from 2023 to 2025. A total of 17 restaurants were caught across these cases.
Following the latest food violation case, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety conducted a special inspection of 1,720 popular restaurants in June, and administrative action is under way against 45 that were found to have violated regulations. - The Korea Herald/ANN
