Court fines ex-chef for washing radishes, feet together with same brush

A former chef who was caught washing radishes and his feet together
with the same scrubbing brush at a pork restaurant in southern Seoul has been sentenced to a fine of 10 million won (7,850 dollars).

The Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday gave the monetary penalty to the 53-year-old, identified only
by his surname Kim, after finding him guilty of violating the Food Sanitation Act 2021.

An official said Kim was indicted after a video of him dipping radishes and his feet in a basin of water and washing them together with the same scrubbing brush at the braised pork dish restaurant went viral on social media last July, triggering a wave of outrage across the country.

The court also imposed a fine of eight million won on the owner of the restaurant, located in the Bangbae
district, as he was indicted on charges of violating the storage standards for frozen pork feet and using expired
sauce.

Prosecutors demanded an eight-month prison sentence and a fine of 5 million won, respectively, for the former chef and the restaurant owner in the previous court hearing.

“The defendants deserve stern punishment, because their behaviors undermined public health and food
safety, and caused distrust in food and other restaurants,” the court said.