930 People Report Suspected Food Poisoning at Gimje Horizon Festival... Support and Hygiene Measures Planned

Salmonella detected in 9 samples... Additional test results expected around October 26
Yochon-dong Support Center open through October 30... Assistance with insurance claims

The number of people who reported suspected food poisoning symptoms during the Gimje Horizon Festival has reached 930. Gimje City has begun arranging support and compensation for those affected and is working on measures to prevent a recurrence.

Gimje City held a press briefing in the City Hall briefing room on the 19th regarding suspected food poisoning cases during the 28th Gimje Horizon Festival. It presented an update on the cases reported to date, the progress of the epidemiological investigation, support for those affected, and measures to prevent a recurrence. Photo courtesy of Gimje City Hall.

On October 19, Gimje City held a press briefing in the City Hall briefing room to announce the status of suspected food poisoning cases during the festival, the progress of the epidemiological investigation, support for those affected, and plans to improve hygiene management.

According to the city, as of 1 p.m. on October 18, there had been 555 reports of suspected food poisoning symptoms, involving 930 people. Of these, 11 are receiving inpatient treatment, and no serious cases have been identified. Daily reports peaked on October 9 and 10, then fell to around 10 a day.

Gimje City requested a total of 100 tests from the Jeonbuk State Institute of Health and Environment, including 78 human samples from food booth workers and people who reported symptoms, and 22 environmental samples from cooking utensils and food ingredients. Salmonella was detected in nine of the 33 samples included in the first round of testing, all of them human samples; no bacteria were detected in the environmental samples. Results for the remaining samples are expected around October 26.

Since October 12, Gimje City has maintained an emergency response system through a task force led by Vice Mayor Lee Hyun-seo. The city began the insurance claims process on October 14 and set up a support center for those affected on the second floor of the Yochon-dong Administrative Welfare Center to make it easier for them to file claims.

The center will operate daily, including weekends, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through October 30. Those affected who cannot visit in person may submit documents by email or fax through the claims adjuster in charge. Remote submissions will continue to be accepted after October 30.

People who reported harm after visiting booths other than the food booths in Yochon-dong will also receive guidance and support with the necessary procedures from the festival organizing committee, Gimje City, and the operators of the relevant booths. Insurance payments will be made in stages after the documents have been reviewed.

Vice Mayor Lee Hyun-seo emphasized, "The city will see its responsibilities through to the end, until those affected have recovered and compensation has been completed."

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