Evett, a two-Michelin-star restaurant in Seoul's Gangnam district, and its chief executive have been fined by a South Korean court for serving a dessert topped with ants. The insects are not approved for consumption under local food safety law.
The restaurant's operator was fined 10m won (£5,400), while its chief executive received a 15m won fine, according to Newsis. Prosecutors had sought a one-year prison term for the chief executive and a 20m won fine for the company.
Judge Lee Se-chang of Seoul's western district court stated the offence was "by no means light," citing the duration the dishes were sold, the restaurant's use of them for promotion, and tests that found heavy metals above permitted levels in the ants. He noted that the defendants admitted the offence, the chief executive had no prior food safety law record, and the restaurant no longer uses ants.
The court heard that the restaurant imported dried ants from the US and Thailand from April 2021, serving them on a sorbet until January 2025. Only 10 insect species are approved as food ingredients in South Korea, and businesses must obtain temporary approval for unapproved insects, which Evett did not do. Violating the law carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison or a 50m won fine.
Both the prosecution and defence have seven days to appeal the decision.