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A Seoul restaurant, Evett, which holds two Michelin stars, has been fined for using unauthorized insects, specifically ants, in its dishes. The owner was penalized 15 million won (£8,144; $10,965) and the operating company received a 10 million won fine for violating South Korea's Food Sanitation Act. This practice continued over nearly four years with approximately 49,000 ants used as garnish on desserts until it was discovered by food safety authorities through online reviews featuring photos of dishes.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A two Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul named Evett has been fined for using ants as a dessert garnish, violating South Korea's Food Sanitation Act. The owner was fined 15 million won (£8,144; $10,965), and the operating company received a fine of 10 million won. Ants are not among the 10 insect species approved for human consumption in South Korea, which includes grasshoppers, locusts, and some silkworms. The judge noted that heavy metals exceeding standards were found in the ants during testing, indicating significant culpability despite the owner's claim of ignorance regarding the prohibition. Prosecutors had initially sought a one-year prison term along with a 20 million won fine but the judge considered the admission of guilt and lack of prior criminal record when deciding on the penalty.
Written for “Restaurant Fine For Using Ants” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 14594 · logged 2026-09-17
- Published
A two Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul has been fined for using ants as a dessert garnish.
asserted
restaurant → publish → garnish
The owner of Evett in the South Korean capital was fined 15 million won (£8,144; $10,965), while the company operating the restaurant was fined 10 million won for violating the Food Sanitation Act, local media report.
asserted
media → fin → Act
Ants are not among the 10 insect species approved for human consumption in the east Asian nation.
asserted
Ants → approve → nation
The approved list includes grasshoppers, locusts and some silkworms.
asserted
list → approve → grasshoppers
Prosecutors had sought a one-year prison term for the restaurant's owner, as well as a 20 million won fine - but the judge took the owner admitting the charge and having no prior criminal record into account.
asserted
owner → seek → account
However, the judge is reported as saying that, as well as violating food standards, the presence of heavy metals exceeding standards was detected in the ants when they were tested, meaning the "culpability is not light".
asserted
culpability → report → ants
The owner was said to have been unaware that providing ants in food was prohibited in South Korea, as they are used as food elsewhere.
asserted
they → say → food
Their use as a topping for sorbets at Evett came to light after the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety found online reviews accompanied by photographs.
asserted
Ministry → come → photographs
It said the owner had sprinkled three to five ants on certain dishes to give them a "sour taste", over a period of nearly four years - amounting to approximately 49,000 ants used as a garnish.
asserted
owner → say → garnish
Most of the ants were imported from the US, while some came from Thailand, the ministry said.
asserted
ministry → import → Thailand
The owner had argued that they were used in a "small part" of the restaurant's 15-course menu and that diners were told they could opt for a non-ant alternative topping.
uncertain
they → argue → topping
Ants are eaten and sometimes even valued as a delicacy in several Asian, African and Latin American cultures.
asserted
Ants → eat → cultures
Weaver ants and their eggs are used in Thai and Cambodian cooking, while in Colombia, queen ants are as prized as caviar.
asserted
ants → use → caviar
The Michelin Guide considers a two-star establishment as one that does "excellent cooking" and is "worth a detour".
asserted
that → consider → detour
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