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Cabbage brined beside toilet reached supermarkets, Korean report says

Footage from a Chuncheon workshop shows vegetable waste, dirty containers and a portable toilet beside the preparation area during kimchi-making season.

Channel: MBCNEWS ·

South KoreaStory of November 13, 2026Trari Newsroom

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화장실 옆에서 '절임배추'‥이미 시장 유통 (2026.11.12/뉴스투데이/MBC)

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Brined cabbage prepared in an unlicensed greenhouse workshop was being supplied to supermarkets during South Korea's kimchi-making season, according to South Korea's Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC).

Reporter Kim Joon-kyum visits the facility on the outskirts of Chuncheon, in Gangwon Province. Inside, vegetable scraps cover parts of the floor, dirty basins weigh down cabbage soaking in salt water, and workers handle the produce without masks or sanitary clothing. A portable toilet stands immediately beside the food preparation area.

The report also shows wastewater draining toward a nearby stream, which the reporter says is being discharged without treatment. Outside the workshop is a large heap of discarded cabbage leaves.

More than 50 boxes a day were entering the market, according to the report. An unnamed workshop representative, whose face is blurred and voice altered, acknowledges supplying markets and acquaintances and cites the difficulties of running a small business as the reason for not registering.

The timing matters: kimjang is the seasonal preparation of kimchi for winter, and buying already-brined cabbage removes a substantial part of the work for households. The report warns that temporary, pop-up operations can evade inspections during this busy period. It does not identify the supermarkets receiving the cabbage.

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