The Seoul Western District Court fined the owner, surnamed Kim, on Sept. 16 and the restaurant's operating company was separately fined 10 million won, The Korea Herald reported.

Kim was charged with importing dried ants from the U.S. and Thailand and using them to garnish a sherbet dessert from April 2021 to January 2026.

Ants are not among the 10 insect species approved for use as food ingredients in South Korea, AFP reported.

Grasshoppers and some types of silkworms are among the insects permitted under the country's food safety regulations.

A serving robot moves during a demonstration at a restaurant in Seoul, South Korea, Sept. 15, 2020. Photo by Reuters

Prosecutors had sought a one-year prison sentence for Kim on July 20. The court took into account his admission of wrongdoing and lack of a previous criminal record when deciding the sentence.

However, the court said the offense could not be considered minor because the restaurant had promoted the dessert and the ants used contained heavy metal levels above the legal limit.

Authorities found that around 49,000 ants had been served to 12,274 customers over four years, generating about 120 million won in revenue.

Between 2023 and 2025, there were 21 cases involving Michelin Guide-listed restaurants in South Korea that violated food safety regulations.

A total of 17 restaurants were found to have breached the rules across those cases.