(Changwon=Yonhap News) Reporter Jeong Jong-ho = In May, when flower and ornamental plant consumption increases due to Teachers' Day and Parents' Day, numerous businesses in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (hereinafter referred to as Buul-gyeong) region were caught falsifying or not indicating the origin of carnations.
The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service (NAQS) Gyeongnam Branch announced on the 27th that after inspecting flower auction sites, flower retailers, mail-order businesses, and large marts in the Buul-gyeong region from the 1st to the 15th, they identified 12 businesses violating origin labeling regulations.
Among these businesses, one was caught selling Chinese carnations disguised as domestic products, while the remaining businesses failed to indicate the origin of their products.
The NAQS Gyeongnam Branch has filed criminal charges against the business that falsified the origin and imposed a fine of 50,000 won per business for those that did not indicate the origin.
Branch Director Baek Un-hwal stated, "We plan to continue guiding and promoting origin labeling to protect domestic flower producers and consumers," and urged, "Consumers should report suspicious or missing origin labels by phone or through the NAQS website."
jjh23@yna.co.kr