[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] Dongdaemun Yupgi Tteokbokki has been cited for the most violations of Korea’s Food Sanitation Act among major tteokbokki franchise brands over the past five years, according to government data.
On the 30th, Money Today reported that Rep. Jang Jong-tae of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee analyzed data submitted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. From 2020 to 2025, a total of 297 violations were recorded across the nation’s five largest tteokbokki franchise operators by store count.
By brand, Dongdaemun Yupgi Tteokbokki topped the list with 90 cases (30.3%), followed by Sinjeon Tteokbokki with 89 (30%), Cheongnyeon Dabang with 54 (18.2%), Baetteok with 42 (14.1%), and Woori Halmae Tteokbokki with 22 (7.4%). The top two brands alone accounted for more than half of all violations.
By type, “standards and specifications violations” were the most frequent with 110 cases (37%), followed by “failure to complete mandatory hygiene training” with 93 cases (31.3%). Under the Food Sanitation Act, business operators and employees are legally required to complete a set number of hours of hygiene training each year; failure to do so constitutes a violation.
Dongdaemun Yupgi Tteokbokki recorded 59 cases (65.6%) of standards violations and 16 cases (17.8%) of uncompleted hygiene training. Sinjeon Tteokbokki had 26 cases each (29.2%) of standards violations and missed hygiene training, while Cheongnyeon Dabang saw 20 cases (37%) related to unfulfilled training obligations.
Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
