'False Advertising,' MoreB Korea Employee Indicted... Why is Baek Jong-won 'Not Prosecuted'? [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Prosecution Service transferred MoreB Korea and the responsible staff member to court on charges of falsely labeling the origin of product ingredients. However, it decided not to prosecute Baek Jong-won, CEO of MoreB Korea, finding no grounds for suspicion against him.

According to NEWS1 on the 21st, on the 16th, the Criminal Division 2 of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Chief Prosecutor Lee Ju-hee) filed non-custodial indictments against MoreB Korea and A, a staff member in charge of home shopping for the distribution business team, under suspicion of violating the Food Labeling and Advertising Act.

They are suspected of falsely advertising by using phrases such as "wild-caught shrimp" when selling MoreB Korea's "Dweopjuk" product on SK Store's online shopping mall from June 2024 to March last year, despite the use of Vietnamese farmed shrimp in the product.

It is reported that the Prosecution Service confirmed through import declaration documents and other records that the product contained Vietnamese farmed whiteleg shrimp.

A's side reportedly denied the charges, stating they were unaware of the incorrect labeling and had no intent to advertise falsely.

However, it is reported that the Prosecution Service determined the charges were valid, considering that the advertisement was posted without verifying the claim of "wild-caught" even after being requested by SK Store's review team to provide evidence prior to publication.

Nevertheless, the Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute Baek Jong-won (CEO), who faced similar charges.

Previously, police concluded that it was difficult to establish a violation of the Food Labeling and Advertising Act against Baek Jong-won (CEO) and decided not to transfer the case for prosecution. The case was then transferred to the Prosecution Service following an objection by the complainant, and it is reported that the Prosecution Service requested a reinvestigation by the police in December last year.

According to reports, the results of the police reinvestigation showed that a lower-ranking employee handled the final approval for the advertisement, and no evidence was found indicating that Baek Jong-won (CEO) approved the advertisement or was aware of such details. Consequently, it is reported that the Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute Baek Jong-won (CEO).

Meanwhile, the Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute MoreB Korea and the marketing team staff member on charges related to misleading consumers into believing that "sweet potato bread" made with Chinese sweet potatoes was domestically produced.

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*This content was translated by AI.