Peppa's Korean BBQ on South King Street was reopened this morning after the state Department of Health gave them the go ahead, said John Kim, brother of the owner.

Seven cases of E. coli infection were reported in March, four of whom involved people who had confirmed eating at Peppa's. Four of the seven people were hospitalized. Three have been released but a fourth remains in serious condition.

It's not clear how many of the four who were hospitalized actually ate at Peppa's. But the popular Korean takeout shut down voluntarily yesterday after the Health Department issued violations.

After it was confirmed that some of those sickened by E. coli 0157:H7 had eaten at Peppa's, state Sanitation Branch inspectors were dispatched to the restaurant, where they observed food-handling violations, Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo said.

Those violations, coupled with confirmation of the Peppa's connection, caused inspectors to issue a "notice of permit suspension" and a cease-and-desist order against the restaurant at about 10 a.m. yesterday, Okubo said.