Seoul to grade restaurant sanitation

By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul city government said Wednesday it will introduce a system that gauges sanitation levels at local restaurants as part of preparations for the G-20 summit to be held in the capital this November.

Restaurants will be graded from A to C according to an objective standard
assessing whether ingredients are stored and cooked in a sanitary manner, city
authorities said in a statement.
The local government plans to launch the system at 300 restaurants around the
venue of the summit in Seoul's posh Gangnam area and expand it to include 450
other restaurants in the city center.
Similar systems are already in place in such countries as the United States and
Britain, according to the authorities.
"The city government expects the new system will be helpful in securing food
safety and promoting Korean food globally," the statement said.
Seoul's tourism balance turned black for the first time last year with 7.8
million foreign visitors, according to figures released by the city. Officials
hope the G-20 summit and other international events due to be held in the capital
this year will help attract more foreign tourists.
sshim@yna.co.kr
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