Yeosu Island Expo hit with new food scandal as undercooked chicken sickens visitors

A visitor to the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo has claimed that undercooked dakganjung — a Korean fried chicken dish — sold at the event left her and her children suffering from stomach pain and diarrhea, adding to growing criticism over the expo's management.

According to MBC's News Desk on Wednesday, a visitor in her 40s and her two elementary school-age children fell ill after eating dakganjung purchased from a food truck at the expo venue during the chuseok holiday.

Video footage taken at the time shows the chicken was visibly undercooked, with the meat still a raw, bright red. About 80 portions of the dish were sold that day.

The vendor acknowledged a fault in the cooking process, telling MBC that the food appeared to have been improperly prepared after replacement staff were brought in during the chuseok holiday. The vendor said it would proceed with compensation for affected visitors and has since temporarily suspended operations.

The expo's organizing committee also announced plans to tighten oversight to prevent a recurrence.

"We will ensure this does not happen again through ongoing education, guidance and inspections on hygiene management," a committee official told MBC.

This is not the first time food at the Yeosu World Island Expo has drawn controversy.

Earlier, a set meal featuring soy-marinated crab sold at a restaurant inside the expo for 14,900 won ($11) drew criticism that the portions were poor value for the price.

At the time, the organizing committee issued an official statement explaining that while ordinary soy-marinated crab dishes typically use stone crabs, the menu in question used flower crabs from Yeonpyeong Island, which carry a higher ingredient cost. The committee added that the vendor also operates a store in Seoul, where the same dish is sold with an identical portion size but at a price 3,000 won higher.