Park Yong-in, a member of co-ed group Urban Zakapa who received a suspended prison sentence for selling "butter beer" containing no butter, will face his first appeals hearing next month.
According to legal sources on the 16th, the 3rd Criminal Division of Seoul Eastern District Court (Presiding Judge Oh Jae-sung) will hold the first appeals hearing for Park's violation of the Food Labeling and Advertising Act at 2:10 p.m. on April 29.
Park, 38, has been a singer with the three-member co-ed group Urban Zakapa since 2009.
In February last year, the first-instance court sentenced Park to eight months in prison with a two-year suspension for violating the Food Labeling and Advertising Act. Virtue Company, where Park serves as CEO, was fined 10 million won.
"The defendants prominently displayed 'BEURRE' (butter in French) and advertised that specific flavors were based on butter, despite the product containing no butter," the court stated. "This constitutes false and exaggerated advertising by misleading consumers into believing the product contained butter."
The court added: "The defendants not only damaged consumer trust and undermined fair trade practices, but also issued a false statement after indictment claiming butter had been added to all products to avoid controversy."
The case moved to appeal after prosecutors filed an objection to the first-instance ruling.
Virtue Company, led by Park, allegedly promoted Beurre beer at convenience stores from May 2022 to January 2023, using phrases such as "Butter Beer" and "BUTTER BEER" on social media as if butter were an ingredient.
The butter beer became a sellout hit among consumers in their 20s and 30s, with initial inventory selling out within one week of launch. Despite its premium price of 6,500 won per can, it ranked second in sales at GS25, trailing only Cass and outselling Terra.
However, controversy erupted when it was revealed the beer contained no actual butter. In March 2023, the Seoul Regional Food and Drug Administration filed criminal charges against Virtue Company, manufacturer Brouwerij Guru, and distributor GS Retail for violating labeling and advertising laws.
"Using 'Beurre,' the French word for butter, in the product name while containing no butter constitutes false and exaggerated advertising that could confuse consumers," the food safety agency stated.
