An AI-generated image used in a graphic by the National Fire Agency warns of food-related choking risk over the Lunar New Year holiday. Graphic by Asia Today and translated by UPI
Feb. 11 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s National Fire Agency warned that choking incidents involving rice cakes and other foods tend to spike around major holidays, with older adults accounting for most victims.
A Seoul resident in his 60s recalled nearly choking while eating tteokguk, a traditional Lunar New Year soup, after a piece of rice cake lodged in his throat. He said he now cuts rice cakes into smaller pieces and eats more slowly.
The fire agency said an analysis of rescue statistics from 2021 through 2025 found an annual average of 239 people were transported to hospitals for airway obstruction caused by rice cakes or other foods.
During the same period, authorities recorded 1,487 related emergency responses and 1,196 hospital transports. Of those taken to hospitals, 455 people, or 38.1%, were in cardiac arrest, the agency said. Another 741 people, or 61.9%, were reported as injured, underscoring that choking can become life-threatening.
During the Lunar New Year holiday period over the past five years, 31 people were transported for choking incidents involving rice cakes or food, averaging 1.3 people per day.
Older adults made up nearly all of those cases. Among the 31 patients transported during the holiday period, 29 were ages 60 or older, or 96.7%, the agency said, citing factors such as increased meal frequency and faster eating during holiday gatherings.
Officials also pointed to age-related declines in chewing strength and swallowing function, warning that tough or sticky foods such as rice cakes can more easily block the airway when eaten quickly.
The agency urged families to watch elderly relatives during meals, particularly when they are eating alone, and encouraged the public to learn the Heimlich maneuver and use it immediately if someone shows signs of choking or breathing difficulty.
A fire official in Gyeonggi Province said most holiday choking transports involve seniors and can quickly lead to cardiac arrest if breathing is blocked.
Acting Fire Service Commissioner Kim Seung-ryong urged people not to eat too quickly or overeat during the holiday period and asked family members to closely monitor elderly relatives while they eat.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260202010000583