'Mayak' bust: Gov't cracking down on drug references in food names

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'Mayak' bust: Gov't cracking down on drug references in food names

Korean marinated eggs, popularly referred to as "mayak gyeran" (drug eggs) on social media [GETTY IMAGES]

Korean marinated eggs, popularly referred to as "mayak gyeran" (drug eggs) on social media [GETTY IMAGES]

 
"Mayak eggs" — the soft-boiled eggs marinated in soy sauce that went viral on TikTok — are a scourge for the Korean government. It’s not its addictive, umami-packed flavors, however, that’s drawing the government’s ire, but its name, containing the Korean word for "drugs."
 
The government has annually campaigned to stop businesses from using drug-related terminology when selling food in efforts to “raise social awareness against drugs in daily life.” The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has carried out such efforts with local governments and related agencies every year.
 

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The Food Ministry said Monday that it will be visiting 179 food businesses including restaurants, highway rest stops and manufacturers in the month of February to discourage them from using terms that allude to drug use in their menu items or advertising.
 
Some common usage of drug-related terminology in food businesses in Korea include street foods like mayak gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) and mayak tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes).
 
Some food stalls name their seaweed rice rolls ″mayak gimbap,″ which includes the Korean word for drugs. [YONHAP]

Some food stalls name their seaweed rice rolls ″mayak gimbap,″ which includes the Korean word for drugs. [YONHAP]

 
A law that allows the government to advise sellers against using drug or related terminology in names or advertising, as well as incentivize those who planned to change existing names with such terminology with subsidies or other forms of financial support, was even passed in July last year.
 
The February visits will be conducted in partnership with six regional branches. Government workers will go to establishments that use drug-related terminology in food names or promotion material and encourage changing the wording, according to the ministry. Business owners will be incentivized with financial support for name changes on packaging as well as restaurant and menu signs.
 
The ministry said it will continue to execute administrative measures to discourage the commercial use of drug-related terminology.
 
Korea has some of the strictest drug policies in the world. Residents are prohibited from using, distributing or possessing illegal drugs such as psychotropics and narcotics, and citizens cannot use drugs overseas even if it is legal in the respective country. The government announced last month that it will strengthen screening to prevent potential drug traffickers or parcels from entering the country.

BY KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]
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