Chef Paik Jong-won's Theborn Korea sent to prosecutors over alleged worker 'blacklist'
Published: 25 Nov. 2025, 10:50
Updated: 25 Nov. 2025, 13:10
![Theborn Korea CEO Paik Jong-won gives a presentation to buyers at The Shilla Seoul Hotel in central Seoul on Sept. 3. [THEBORN KOREA]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/25/05aab480-3440-476e-8398-6bc240d3b385.jpg)
Theborn Korea CEO Paik Jong-won gives a presentation to buyers at The Shilla Seoul Hotel in central Seoul on Sept. 3. [THEBORN KOREA]
Theborn Korea, a food and beverage company headed by celebrity chef Paik Jong-won, was referred to prosecutors last month after labor authorities said the restaurant operator used an online bulletin board to block some workers from being hired elsewhere.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor’s Seoul Gangnam District Office sent Theborn Korea to prosecutors with a recommendation to indict on Oct. 24, according to data that Rep. Kim So-hee of the People Power Party received from the ministry on Tuesday.
Labor officials say the company posted a message on May 23, 2022, in a Naver online forum for Saemaeul Restaurant that allegedly blocked workers from finding new jobs, in violation of the Labor Standards Act. Saemauel Restaurant is operated by Theborn Korea.
The Labor Ministry opened a labor inspection in March after allegations surfaced that the forum included a section described as a “blacklist” for employees.
Theborn Korea said the bulletin board “was created at the request of franchise owners but was never active," adding that “the board was meant to serve as a reference after some franchise employees filed malicious complaints and threats, causing serious harm to certain owners."
The ministry determined the board constituted an illegal attempt to hinder employment.
Korean law prohibits compiling or using lists to obstruct a worker’s job prospects. Violations carry penalties of up to five years in prison or fines of up to 50 million won ($34,000).
Labor officials also identified five other violations at Theborn Korea, including unpaid allowances and insufficient leave, and ordered corrections or fines.
The company has since resolved the unpaid allowance issue.
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.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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