"We thought we could trust what we ate..." Marsh clams sold as domestic turn out to be Chinese imports, leaving consumers feeling betrayed

[Financial News] A group of individuals who disguised Chinese marsh clams as domestically harvested products and sold them have been caught.
On the 24th, the Yeosu Coast Guard Station announced that it had booked five people, including seafood distributors, without detention on charges of violating the Act on Labeling of Origin of Agricultural and Fishery Products and the Food Sanitation Act, for selling dozens of tons of Chinese marsh clam as domestically harvested marsh clam.
According to the Coast Guard, the suspects are accused of purchasing large quantities of Chinese marsh clam and passing them off as domestic products, distributing about 20 tons to large discount stores (both online and offline) and restaurants.
The estimated market value of the distributed quantity is about 1.7 billion won.
The Coast Guard also confirmed that the harvesting season for Seomjin River marsh clams is limited to just three months each year, from April to June, resulting in insufficient supply to meet demand. While the wholesale price of 20kg of Seomjin River marsh clams is about 175,000 won, Chinese marsh clams are priced around 80,000 won.
A representative from the Yeosu Coast Guard Station emphasized, "We will continue to crack down on illegal activities such as false labeling of origin to ensure the safety of food for the public, and we will relentlessly pursue crimes that deceive consumers using food as a means."
gaa1003@fnnews.com Ahn Ga-eul Reporter