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Viral TikTok showing maggots at K-barbecue restaurant causes global kerfuffle

Published: 12 Aug. 2025, 17:53

Maggots are seen at a barbecue restaurant in the Philippines in this screen capture of a TikTok video uploaded by user riiicaaaa on May 27. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A TikTok showing maggots crawling on a grill at a Korean barbecue restaurant in the Philippines has gone viral — and some overseas social media users mistakenly believe it was filmed in Korea.

The seven-second clip, which carries a warning in English to “please be aware,” shows several maggots moving along the edge of a grill as meat is cooked.

It was originally posted in May on TikTok by a Filipino user and has recently gained traction in Korea.

As of Tuesday, the video accumulated had more than 26 million views and 12,000 comments in Filipino, English and Korean.

Some viewers speculated that the restaurant was not in Korea, noting that the cuts of meat and side sauces in the clip are uncommon in Korean eateries.

However, the lack of explanation and the use of the hashtag "samgyupsal," the Korean word for pork belly, led others to assume it was filmed in Korea.

Amid the growing debate, a Korean user contacted the person who uploaded the video through direct message and later shared her response on an online forum.

The creator of the original TikTok explained that the restaurant in question is a samgyeopsal spot in the Philippines.

Media outlets in Thailand and other countries also reported on the video, specifying that the restaurant was a Korean barbecue establishment in the Philippines.

The incident has raised concerns that the viral video could contribute to negative perceptions of Korean food.

Some Korean commenters expressed worry, saying “It’s concerning since samgyeopsal is a representative Korean dish” and “There are still foreigners who believe it was filmed at a Korean restaurant in Korea.”

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 staff.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]