Fans watch a baseball game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on May 5, Children's Day.NEWS1
Spectators at baseball stadiums and other sports venues in Korea will soon be able to buy food such as hot dogs and fried chicken directly from vendors in the stands.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Regulatory Rationalization Committeeunder the Office for Government Policy Coordination said on Monday that they will allow roaming vendors to sell prepared foods inside sports facilities as part of efforts to improve convenience for spectators.
The measure is part of the government's broader regulatory reform initiative aimed at improving everyday life.
While vendors selling hot dogs and alcoholic beverages have long been common at baseball stadiums in countries such as the United States, Korean regulations had been unclear on whether prepared foods other than beer could be sold in the stands.
The government said it decided to clarify the rules in response to growing calls for changes amid the soaring popularity of baseball.
Rather than revising the law, authorities adopted an administrative interpretation of the existing Food Sanitation Act, drawing on a 2016 decision that allowed roaming beer sales at sports venues.
The new policy allows the sale of prepared foods that can maintain their quality and safety during transport.
Eligible items include hot dogs, churros, fried chicken and highballs. Processed foods such as beverages and ice cream may also be sold if they are kept at the proper refrigerated or frozen temperatures.
Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa District, southern SeoulNEWS1
Items containing uncooked ingredients, including gimbap (seaweed rice rolls), boxed meals and sandwiches, are excluded because they are more susceptible to spoilage and foodborne illness in hot and humid outdoor conditions.
The government also released hygiene and safety guidelines.
Prepared foods must be hygienically packaged, and vendors handling food are required to wear hairnets and masks. They must undergo an annual health checkup and are prohibited from working if they show symptoms such as diarrhea or abdominal pain. Vendors who only deliver fully packaged products are exempt from the health checkup requirement.
Certified containers and packaging materials must be used to prevent contamination during transport, and transport boxes must be cleaned and sanitized regularly. Prepared foods must be sold within two hours, and any unsold items cannot be resold.
"A government that is indifferent to inconveniences in people's daily lives is no different from one that infringes on the public's rights and interests," Park Yong-jin, vice chair of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee,said. "We will continue to pursue proactive legal interpretations and institutional improvements so people can immediately feel the benefits of regulatory reform in their daily lives."
BY KO SEUNG-PYO [shin.woojin@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
