Paik Jong-won of 'Culinary Class Wars' is charged with workplace harassment and breaking food laws
KOREA: According to New Straits Times, Paik Jong-won, a Korean celebrity chef and food-and-beverage mogul has run into problems, accused of workplace abuse and violations of food regulations. Paik, 58, is known for his Netflix show, 'Culinary Class Wars', and his culinary empire. Photo: Instagram/Paik Jong-won
He has been reported to authorities for alleged breaches of country-of-origin labelling laws. His company, Theborn Korea, allegedly put wrong labels on its soybean paste, making it seem local when it actually used imported stuff. Breaking the law
Theborn Korea is also being probed for allegedly making the soybean paste in a protected farming zone. Companies are not supposed to use ingredients from overseas in those areas. That is against the law.
The chef's culinary offerings are also in trouble. His range of canned ham or luncheon meat contains less meat but is priced higher than the industry leader, Spam. His tangerine beer has also stirred controversy for its purportedly minimal tangerine content.
Other than food-related problems, a possible safety breach has been brought to light by a revived YouTube video. Violation of gas safety laws
Netizens pointed out that in an old video, he had a gas cylinder way too close to an open brazier in his test kitchen.
Apparently, that's a violation of South Korea's gas safety laws and could result in hefty penalties.
The issues go beyond just regulatory matters. A former producer from the South Korean broadcaster MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation) has recently accused Paik of workplace power abuse during his time on the variety series, My Little Television (which aired from 2015 to 2017). Workplace issues
The former producer, Kim Jae-hwan, went on YouTube and said that the chef was really particular about who he worked with. Apparently, he insisted on personally choosing all the writers and the filming crew.
He exerted influence to remove cast members he disliked, forcing producers to apologise to those affected.
Someone came to Paik's defence — a TV director who formerly collaborated with him. In an interview with South Korean media outlet Korea Economic Daily, the director shared that there was no misconduct during their professional relationship.
Despite his problems, Paik is still a pretty big deal in the South Korean entertainment world. He's apparently got quite a few projects still in the works. Netflix declined to comment on Paik's continued involvement in 'Culinary Class Wars'. The chef is slated to appear in the second season.
Paik will also appear in the third season of The Genius Paik, a reality show on tvN, in which he guides a group of famous people in running a restaurant overseas.
There was a picture going around online on April 27, supposedly showing Paik filming his new show in France. But the TV station, tvN, hasn't actually said if he's really part of it. Postponed show
It looks like all the recent talk has had an effect. Paik's new programme, 'Chef Of Antarctica', where he cooks for researchers down at the South Pole, has been postponed by MBC.
'Chef of Antarctica' also features Suho from Exo. It was slated to premiere in April. Filming for the show concluded by the end of 2024.
Korean TV station MBC denied rumours that Paik's controversies are the reason for the delay. The TV station attributed it to the special news broadcasts and upcoming South Korean presidential election.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
International Business Times
3 hours ago
- International Business Times
Maxwell Anderson Watched Netflix Series on Dismemberment Before Killing, Dismembering Sade Robinson on Their First Date
Maxwell Anderson, 34, was convicted by a jury on Friday, June 6, of killing, dismembering 19-year-old Sade Robinson on the night of their first date. The jury announced the verdict after taking less than an hour to arrive at the decision to convict Anderson of first-degree intentional homicide or first-degree reckless homicide. Anderson was also found guilty on charges of intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson. Anderson Watched 'Love, Death & Robots' on Netflix with Robinson Blascoe, a 33-year-old social worker, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal that it was revealed in a post-trial meeting with the prosecution that on the night of Robinson's murder, Anderson turned on the Netflix series "Love, Death & Robots" with Robinson inside the home. During the final episode of volume two of the animated series, a corpse is dismembered on a beach. The prosecution believes Anderson dismembered Robinson on a small beach at Warnimont Park in Cudahy. "I was like, oh, ... that's disgusting because that could have been where he got some of his ideas or fantasies," Blascoe told the outlet. Anderson Disposed Off Robinson's Dismembered Remains Around Milwaukee County Investigators believe Anderson killed her on their first date on April 1, 2024, dismembered her body and spread her remains around Milwaukee County. Robinson was last seen alive at Anderson's home. Her arm was found at a Waukegan beach. The jury was shown disturbing and graphic images of Robinson inside Anderson's home that were later deleted from his phone. Among the images was a graphic photo of Anderson holding Robinson's right breast as she lay incapacitated. Robinson's right breast is among her body parts that haven't been recovered. They were also shown grainy or darkened footage that showed Anderson driving Robinson's car before torching it outside an abandoned home on the city's north side. Anderson had planned to kill Robinson weeks before her death, according to a statement from a "confidential informant" noted in court filings FOX6 News obtained. A search warrant also revealed prosecutors believe Anderson tried to cover up Robinson's death with a text message. Anderson faces a mandatory life sentence in prison when he's sentenced Aug. 15.
International Business Times
16 hours ago
- International Business Times
When Will Squid Game Return for Season 3? Everything We Know So Far
The Squid Game season 2 finale kept the viewers on the edge with surprising plot twists and a shocking death. The heartbreaking scene kept the viewers wondering what lies ahead for Seong Gi Hun and the other surviving contestants. Now, after six months, the K-drama series is returning with its third and final season towards the end of June. The followers of this thriller series are eagerly waiting to see if Seong Gi Hun will succeed in his mission. The biggest question is how Seong Gi Hun will protect the surviving contestants and put an end to this deadly game. Will the survival thriller series answer all the burning questions the viewers have when the show returns with its third and final season on Friday (June 27)? Here is everything we know so far about Squid Game season 3, including the story, cast, premiere, preview, spoilers, and streaming details. When Does Squid Game Season 3 Premiere? The highly anticipated third and final installment of Netflix's survival thriller drama series will premiere on Friday (June 27). Who is in the Squid Game Season 3 Cast? It has been confirmed that Lee Jung Jae, Lee Byung Hun, Yim Si Wan, Kang Ha Neul, Park Sung Hoon, Yang Dong Geun, Kang Ae Shim, Chae Gook Hee, David Lee, Roh Jae Won, and Jo Yu Ri will reprise their roles in the upcoming sequel. The post-credit scenes of Season 2 and the first poster of Season 3 introduced a new male robot named Cheol Su. What is the Plot of Squid Game Season 3? The launch poster and first few stills of this installment teased intense challenges for the surviving contestants. The viewers can look forward to watching the endgame with high-stakes challenges. VIPs will join when the surviving contestants move towards the last few rounds. Meanwhile, Jun Ho will try hard to track the game's hidden location before the game ends. The surviving contestants for the final installment include Myung Gi, Dae Ho, Hyun Ju, Yong Sik, Geum Ja, Jun Hee, Seon Nyeo, Min Su, and Nam Gyu. They will have to play deadly new games to survive, and the viewers can expect bloody battles. The newly released individual posters of the surviving contestants tease a new journey for each of them.
Straits Times
20 hours ago
- Straits Times
Megan, half-Singaporean member of Katseye, comes out as bisexual
Megan shared that she realised she was attracted to women as early as the age of eight. PHOTO: MEGANSKIENDIEL/INSTAGRAM Megan, half-Singaporean member of Katseye, comes out as bisexual Megan, a member of the global girl group Katseye, has publicly come out as bisexual. During a live broadcast on fan platform Weverse with fellow member Lara on June 6 , the 19-year-old shared her identity with fans, stating: 'I'm coming out. I'm bisexual.' The two celebrated the moment together, jumping in place with joy. Megan, who has a Singaporean-Chinese mother and American-Swedish father, debuted in the US with the six-member group in 2024. This marks the second coming out within the group. Back in March, Lara revealed her sexual orientation through a Weverse live broadcast. She shared that she realised she was attracted to women as early as the age of eight, and confessed that she was deeply afraid when auditioning. 'I didn't know if people would accept me. I was scared it might ruin my chances,' she wrote at the time. With both Lara and Megan now openly identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community, Katseye stands out as a rare example of queer representation in the K-pop scene. The sextet is a multinational and multi-ethnic K-pop girl group formed by South Korean entertainment company Hybe in collaboration with American label Geffen Records. The group will return with its second EP Beautiful Chaos on May 27. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
