Chef Lee Yeon-bok, a master of Chinese cuisine, apologized on the 16th regarding the decision to suspend and recall the sale of his 'Hanwoo Ugeoji Soup'.
On the same day, the chef posted on his personal social media, saying, "First, I sincerely apologize for bringing you the bad news." In the post, he stated, "Recently, the Escherichia coli levels in the 'Hanwoo Ugeoji Soup' product sold online exceeded the standards, leading to a sales suspension order from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety." He continued, "Regardless of the reasons, I deeply apologize for disappointing and causing inconvenience to customers who trusted and purchased my product."
He added, "The affected product has been completely disposed of, and measures to prevent any future distribution have been taken, including the suspension of sales and production." He also noted, "For customers who purchased Lee Yeon-bok's 'Hanwoo Ugeoji Soup', we will promptly process refunds and necessary actions through the point of purchase. I take full responsibility for this matter and will respond to it with my utmost efforts." Additionally, he emphasized, "I sincerely apologize and will take a responsible approach to restore trust until the end."
Prior to this, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety had announced that the 'Lee Yeon-bok's Bagged Hanwoo Ugeoji Soup,' which was deemed non-compliant with bacteriological and Escherichia coli standards, would be suspended and recalled. The product, packaged in 800 grams, was manufactured by Nolda Food, located in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, and sold by the specialized retailer The Mokran in Namyangju. The expiration date is July 7, 2026. The Namyangju City Hall is currently suspending sales and recalling this product.
Accordingly, consumers who purchased the product should return it to the target places for recall, and sellers must stop sales and return the products to the recall operators.