Gimje Horizon Festival Becomes a "Food Poisoning Festival"... 720 Report Symptoms, 91 Hospitalized

Gimje City Moves to Provide Compensation, Discusses Measures to Prevent Recurrence
Most People with Symptoms Ate "Gimbap"; Some Also Ate Yukhoe

The number of visitors who developed suspected food poisoning symptoms after attending the Gimje Horizon Festival, one of North Jeolla Province’s signature festivals, has risen to 720.

Twin Dragons at the Gimje Horizon Festival

According to Gimje City and other sources, as of 10 a.m. on October 12, a total of 720 visitors had reported suspected food poisoning symptoms after attending the festival. On October 5, the festival’s closing day, around five people first reported suspected symptoms. Reports have continued even as of October 12, a week after the festival ended.

As reports of suspected food poisoning continued, Gimje City and the Gimje Horizon Festival Organizing Committee issued an apology on October 9, saying, "We sincerely apologize for causing unexpected pain and great inconvenience to those who visited the festival to make happy memories with their families and friends."

They added, "We plan to establish guidelines for compensating visitors at a meeting with a claims adjuster today. We are discussing measures to prevent a recurrence while seeking input from relevant departments and agencies."

Apology Regarding Suspected Food Poisoning Symptoms at the Gimje Horizon Festival. Festival Website.

Of those with symptoms, 91 are currently hospitalized and receiving treatment, while 54 have completed inpatient treatment and been discharged. Salmonella was detected in 32 hospitalized patients, and norovirus was found in one. Other viruses, including sapovirus, were detected in nine more patients.

Most people with symptoms were found to have eaten gimbap sold at a booth at the festival venue. However, some were found to have eaten other food, and those cases are also being investigated. Test results are expected around October 19.

In addition, to identify the cause, Gimje City collected samples from 13 workers involved in preparing and serving food and sent them for testing. The city also collected knives, cutting boards and other utensils used at the site and requested detailed testing by the Jeollabuk-do Institute of Health and Environment. At the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s direction, the city also plans to conduct reproduction tests by preparing food using the same utensils that were used at the venue at the time.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.