A beverage company co-founded by BTS’ Jin and celebrity restaurateur Paik Jong Won has been reported for alleged violations of the origin labeling law.
According to TenAsia’s report on Monday, a citizen filed a complaint with Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, accusing Jini’s Lamp—the agricultural corporation established by Jin and Paik in December 2022—of misleading labeling practices. The complaint alleges that the company’s IGIN highball products, including watermelon and plum flavors, could confuse consumers about the origin of their ingredients.
The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service confirmed it has opened an investigation through its Yesan branch office. “If violations are found, the case will be prosecuted and referred, with administrative penalties depending on the severity,” an official said.
Product labels on IGIN bottles do list foreign-sourced ingredients—including plum concentrate from Chile and watermelon concentrate from the U.S.—but some online product descriptions reportedly misidentified the ingredients as “from Korea.” Consumers browsing the site could have been misled into believing the drinks were made entirely with Korean produce.
Under Korean law, the “from Korea” label can only be applied if all ingredients, excluding additives, are sourced locally. False or misleading origin labeling can result in up to seven years in prison or fines of up to 100 million KRW (approx. 72,000 USD).
Jini’s Lamp, headquartered in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province, manufactures the IGIN products, while Paik’s The Born Korea affiliate Yesan Distillery handles distribution. Regarding the complaint, Jini’s Lamp said the matter is “under review.”
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