South Korean court fines Michelin-starred Seoul restaurant for ant-topped dessert

A Seoul court fined the operator of two-Michelin-starred restaurant Evett and its chief executive for serving a dessert topped with ants, an insect not approved under South Korean food safety law.

• A court fined Evett's operator 10 million won and chief executive Ginny Kim 15 million won, after prosecutors had sought a one-year prison term for Kim.
• Judge Lee Se-chang said the offence was "by no means light," citing the length of time the dish was served, its promotional use, and tests finding heavy metals above permitted levels in the ants.
• Prosecutors estimated the dessert reached 12,274 customers and earned about 120 million won; defense lawyers said only about 60 percent of customers accepted the ants.
• Prosecutors said the restaurant imported dried ants from the US and Thailand from April 2021 and served them until January 2025 without the ministry approval required for unapproved insects.