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Celebrity chef Paik Jong-won held over the flames amid roiling controversies

Published: 18 Mar. 2025, 18:30 Updated: 19 Mar. 2025, 17:08

Theborn Korea CEO Paik Jong-won speaks at a ceremony for the listing of the company on the Kospi in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Nov. 6, 2024. [NEWS1]

Once a celebrated chef known for appearances on numerous culinary shows — including Netflix’s global hit "Culinary Wars" (2024) — Paik Jong-won, widely admired for his business acumen and down-to-earth charm, now finds himself embroiled in controversy.

Paik became a celebrity figure on Korean television through the Olive channel cooking survival show "Hansik Battle 2" back in 2014 and the MBC entertainment show "My Little Television" in 2015.

However, a string of scandals involving Paik and Theborn Korea, a food and beverage (F&B) company he founded, over recent months has sent the company’s stock price plummeting to a record low of 27,800 won ($19) on Monday, nearly half of its closing price of 51,400 won on its first day of trading on Nov. 6, 2024.

The controversy surrounding the company began in late January, just before the Lunar New Year holiday.

Theborn Korea promoted a ham gift set with a 45 percent discount. The price, however, was not significantly lower than similar sets from other food companies, leading to accusations of exaggerated marketing. Concerns were also raised about the product’s quality due to its low pork content. Paik later explained that the reduced meat ratio was intended to enhance the flavor, but the explanation failed to win over public sentiment.

Theborn Korea CEO Paik Jong-won addresses controversies surrounding ″Paik Ham″ at a YouTube channel. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A similar issue arose with a citrus beer launched by Theborn Korea’s affiliate franchise Yeondon Ball Katsu. The beer faced heavy criticism after it was revealed that each can contained only 0.16 milliliters (0.005 ounces) of citrus — just 0.032 percent of its total volume. Given that a tangerine with a diameter of 70 millimeters (2.75 inches) can produce 120 to 135 milliliters of juice, one tangerine could theoretically supply enough juice for 750 cans.

The backlash was particularly intense because the beer had been marketed as supporting Jeju's signature tangerines.

Then in July, a meal kit Paik promoted on his YouTube channel, "PAIK JONG WON," as a product supporting local farmers further escalated the controversy surrounding him after the kit was found to contain Brazilian chicken, contradicting its marketing message.

In hot water with the law

The most serious allegations against Paik and Theborn Korea, however, involve potential violations of country-of-origin labeling laws. “Baek-seok Doenjang,” a soybean paste product from Theborn Korea, was advertised as domestically produced despite containing Chinese fermented soybean paste, soybeans from the United States, Canada and Australia, and flour from the United States and Australia.

Theborn Korea is also accused of violating the Farmland Act by producing the product in an agricultural promotion zone, where the manufacture of products using foreign raw materials is prohibited.

Should Paik be charged with falsely advertising the origin of ingredients, he could face up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 100 million won under the Act on Origin Labeling for Agricultural and Fishery Products.

On March 14, Paik issued a formal apology on Theborn Korea’s official website, saying, "I sincerely apologize and feel a deep sense of responsibility for causing concern to many due to various issues related to Theborn Korea." He also promised to quickly improve all issues, including concerns pertaining to the law.

Caught in the act

Paik’s past actions have also resurfaced, further damaging his reputation.

In a video uploaded to Paik's YouTube Channel last May, an indoor liquefied petroleum gas canister was seen near a brazier in an indoor kitchen, violating the Safety Control and Business of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Act. The law mandates that such cylinders must be placed outdoors in a well-ventilated area. Although Paik later explained in the video's comment section that the placement was temporary and two safety managers were present, the Yesan County office in South Chungcheong announced on Feb. 19 that it would impose a fine of up to 2 million won based on the footage.

Paik Jong-won, right, and one of his employees are seen using a pesticide sprayer to apply apple juice to meat, in a video uploaded on Paik's YouTube channel on Nov. 20, 2023. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Another video from November 2023 sparked criticism after an employee was seen using a pesticide sprayer to apply apple juice to meat, following Paik’s advice.

Theborn Korea released a statement asserting that it adhered to food safety laws but would review its practices comprehensively.

The controversy also extended to a barbecue grill seen in the video. Speculation arose that the grill used to cook meals was originally designed for use at construction sites, although the company clarified that the grill was made with Posco’s stainless steel and met all food safety standards.

Coffee chain nukes its reputation

Most recently, a customer complaint added to the growing scrutiny of Paik's F&B empire.

A post on an online forum claimed that when the writer purchased sausage bread from Paikdabang, a coffee franchise Paik founded in 2006, one of the store's employees microwaved it while it was still in its plastic container, causing it to become deformed.

When the customer reportedly informed the company, it allegedly responded that the practice followed its official manual and that the container was microwave-safe.

An online community user posted a photo of Paikdabang's sausage bread, stating that the plastic container deformed after an employee microwaved it. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The plastic container in question, however, bore a PET mark, indicating that it was unsuitable for microwaving and could release harmful substances when heated, raising further concerns over food safety.

Theborn Korea reportedly said on Tuesday that the incident was the result of a mistake by a new employee and had apologized to the customer.

Festival involvement incites internet fury

Paik has remained out of the public eye since his last YouTube video on February 19. The video has garnered over 7,800 comments, many of which convey a critical take on the recent scandals.

Despite the backlash, Paik is preparing for the upcoming Chunhyang Festival, a seven-day cultural event hosted by Namwon City in North Jeolla, set to begin on April 30.

Paik Jong-won at the 2024 Chunhyang Festival [NAMWON CITY]

His upcoming participation comes as he successfully managed and consulted on the festival’s food zone, where his menu items, made with local ingredients, sold 1.3 million dishes and generated 79.2 billion won in revenue during last year's event.

However, petitions have been filed on e-People, a major online petition platform, demanding an end to the collaboration with him.

While acknowledging the controversy surrounding Paik, event organizers have reportedly decided to proceed with his involvement, citing limited time remaining before its launch.

BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]