Restaurant Floor Plan Checklist for Korean Food Hygiene Law Compliance

In Korea, if your restaurant floor plan doesn't meet the Food Hygiene Act requirements, your operating license can be denied. Use this checklist during your floor plan review.

1. Zone Separation (3-Zone Workflow Principle)

The Food Hygiene Act requires physical separation of prep, cooking, and wash/sanitation zones.

• Prep zone (vegetable/meat handling): dedicated workbench + at least 1 dedicated sink
• Cooking zone (heat/cooking): placed directly under the hood; prevent cross-contamination with raw ingredients
• Wash/sanitation zone: 3-compartment sink (wash → rinse → sanitize) or commercial dishwasher

2. Ventilation — Hood Airflow Requirements

A minimum of 100 m³/h per kW of cooking equipment is required. At the floor plan stage, total up the equipment kW to size your hood.

• 4-burner gas range (≈28 kW) → minimum 2,800 m³/h exhaust
• Hood bottom edge at 1,800–2,000mm above floor
• External exhaust duct route must be shown on the floor plan

3. Gas Safety Equipment

• Main gas shutoff valve installed at a clearly marked location near the kitchen entrance
• Gas supply entry point and pressure regulator location must appear on the plan
• Gas leak detector: install near floor within 1m of the gas range

4. Refrigeration & Freezer Storage

• Refrigerated (≤5°C) and frozen (≤-18°C) storage shown on the plan
• Minimum 50mm clearance from walls around refrigerator units (heat dissipation)
• Separate raw ingredients from finished products — use a divider or separate unit