The West Seoul District Court imposed fines on the operator and the company of the restaurant Evett after they served dried ants imported from the United States and Thailand between April 2021 and January 2025.
The penalties applied were 15 million won (equivalent to 10,170 euros) to the operator and 10 million won (about 6,780 euros) to the restaurant's company, as reported by the local news agency Newsis.
The Public Prosecutor had requested a one-year prison sentence for the operator and a fine of 20 million won (13,560 euros) for the company, according to the same source.
Evett was established in 2019 by Australian chef Joseph Lidgerwood, who participated in the Netflix competition show 'Culinary Class Wars', but he was not charged in the case.
The person convicted is known in local media only by the surname Kim, although public profiles identify her as Ginny Kim, founder and CEO of the establishment, and ABC Australia recognizes her as Lidgerwood's wife.
One of the containers presented by the Ministry of Food Safety described the product as 'culinary black ants'. These insects were offered over a sikhye-inspired ice cream, a traditional rice drink, as part of a 15-course tasting menu.
The Public Prosecutor estimated that the dessert was served to 12,274 customers, using a total of 49,096 ants. In response, the defense argued that consumption was optional and that only approximately 60% of customers accepted the item.
The court assessed that the actual amount used was probably lower, but did not specify concrete figures.
Although South Korea permits the consumption of ten types of insects, including silkworm pupae, a popular street snack, ants are not on this official list. Evett did not have the proper prior authorization to serve an unlisted species.
Additionally, the judge found that heavy metals were detected in the insects in quantities exceeding permitted limits.
The defendants confessed to the facts but told the Yonhap agency that the ants are consumed in other countries and that they had not fully understood South Korea's specific prohibition.