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Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Netflix reveals fate of hit cooking show as judge is embroiled in controversy
Netflix competition show Culinary Class Wars is reportedly set to return later this year despite judge Paik Jong-won being accused of workplace bullying and violating food regulations. On Tuesday, news broke that the 58-year-old entrepreneur had been reported to authorities for allegedly breaching country-of-origin labelling laws for food products. It comes after a soybean paste produced by his company, Theborn Korea, was marketed as a domestically made product despite using imported ingredients. According to The Star, Jong-won's business is also accused of violating the Farmland Act after allegedly producing the soybean paste in an agricultural promotion zone in South Korea, where making products with foreign raw materials is illegal. Additionally, Jong-won was accused of abuse of power by former MBC producer Kim Jae-hwan in a scathing YouTube video last week. Jae-hwan, who had worked with the television personality on the popular show My Little Television, said that the star made increasingly excessive demands of broadcasters, including pushing for his preferred writer and production teams to be hired. He also alleged in the video, titled Can Paik Jong-won recover?, that individuals Jong-won disliked were quietly removed from broadcasts. Not all employees felt the same, however, with one anonymous source telling The Korea Times that their experience was different. Speaking of Jong-won, they said: 'He worked with staff he met for the first time on set.' According to The Chosun, Jong-won publicly apologized to his company's shareholders during their annual general meeting on March 28. 'I sincerely apologize for not managing the company more thoroughly as a CEO,' he's reported to have said. He also vowed that Theborn Korea is 'reassessing internal systems from the ground up' and that the company 'will enhance our ingredient origin management and work with external experts to establish an effective internal monitoring system.' He added: 'We plan to improve our menus and services and implement a new ingredient information disclosure system to restore customer trust.' Culinary Class Wars follows 100 elite chefs divided into two classes: white spoons (veterans) and black spoons (newcomers) as they compete for the prize of 300 million won ($210,000). Veteran restaurateur and celebrity chef Jong-won serves as a judge alongside the only Michelin three-star chef in Korea, Anh Sung-jae. The wildly popular unscripted Korean show topped the platform's global mon-English series list for three consecutive weeks after its launch last September. Netflix announced in December that it was actively recruiting for participants for Culinary Class Wars' second season after the series premiere became an instant hit in September 2024. An advert posted on the streamer's website read: 'Open to everyone, regardless of nationality or where you reside, the show's only requirement is confidence in your cooking skills. 'If you believe in the power of your flavors, you can apply now by filling out this form.' has contacted Netflix for comment. Elsewhere, MBC announced earlier this month that there would be a delay to the release of Chef of Antarctica, a new show which sees Jong-won prepare meals for researches in the South Pole. The show was initially set to air this month and sparked rumors of indefinite postponement, until MBC clarified the delay. 'The broadcast schedule was adjusted due to breaking news coverage and the early election period,' they told The Star. 'The exact airing date will be announced once it is finalized.'
New Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: 'Culinary Class Wars' Paik Jong-won accused of workplace bullying, food regulation violations
SEOUL: Korean celebrity chef and food-and-beverage mogul Paik Jong-won, known for his Netflix show Culinary Class Wars and his extensive culinary empire, is facing a growing storm of controversies, ranging from allegations of workplace abuse to violations of food regulations. The 58-year-old Paik was recently reported to authorities for alleged breaches of country-of-origin labeling laws. His company, Theborn Korea, is accused of mislabeling a soybean paste as domestically made, despite using imported ingredients. Adding to Theborn Korea's woes, the company is also under scrutiny for allegedly violating the Farmland Act by producing the same soybean paste in an agricultural promotion zone, where the use of foreign raw materials is prohibited. Paik's culinary offerings have also come under fire. His line of canned ham, or luncheon meat, is reportedly priced higher than industry leader Spam but contains less meat. Similarly, his tangerine beer has drawn criticism for its purportedly minimal tangerine content. Beyond food-related issues, a resurfaced YouTube video has drawn attention to a potential safety violation. Netizens pointed out that an indoor liquefied petroleum gas canister was placed near a brazier in one of Paik's old test kitchen videos, a breach of South Korea's Safety Control and Business of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Act that could result in substantial fines. The controversies extend beyond regulatory matters. A former producer from South Korean broadcaster MBC has accused Paik of workplace power abuse during his time on the variety series My Little Television. In a YouTube video, ex-producer Kim Jae-hwan alleged that Paik insisted on handpicking writers and filming crews and exerted influence to remove cast members he disliked, forcing producers to apologise to those affected. However, a TV director who previously collaborated with Paik offered a contrasting perspective. Speaking to South Korean media outlet Korea Economic Daily, the director stated that no misconduct occurred during their professional relationship. Despite the mounting controversies, Paik's presence in the South Korean entertainment scene remains significant, with several projects still in the pipeline. He is slated to appear in the second season of Culinary Class Wars, though Netflix has declined to comment on his continued involvement. Paik is also set to feature in the third season of tvN's reality series The Genius Paik, where he leads a group of celebrities in operating a restaurant abroad. An online post circulating on April 27 included a photo, purportedly of Paik filming the new season in France, but tvN has not confirmed his participation. Meanwhile, MBC has announced a delay in the airing of Chef Of Antarctica, a new show featuring Paik preparing meals for researchers at the South Pole. The show, which also stars Exo member Suho, was initially scheduled for April, with filming completed at the end of 2024.
CNA
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Netflix's Culinary Class Wars judge Paik Jong-won accused of power abuse and food code violations
Paik Jong-won, judge on Netflix series Culinary Class Wars and owner of 26 restaurant franchises, including Paik's Coffee, Paik's Bibim and Bornga, is facing a string of controversies from alleged abuses of power to food code violations that began in late January this year. In the celebrity chef's most serious allegation, Paik was accused for violating country-of-origin labelling laws in its Paik-seok doenjang, a soya bean paste produced by Theborn Korea, an F&B company he founded, that was advertised as domestically made but allegedly contained Chinese fermented paste. Theborn Korea has also been accused of violating the Farmland Act by manufacturing Paik-seok doenjang in an agricultural promotion zone, where using foreign raw materials in production is prohibited. Paik could face up to seven years in prison or be fined up to 100 million won (US$70,000) under Korea's Act on Origin Labeling for Agricultural and Fishery Products should he be charged with falsely advertising the origin of ingredients. Other accusations about product quality include low pork content in Theborn Korea's ham and minimal tangerine used in a tangerine beer launched by Theborn Korea's affiliate franchise Yeondon Ball Katsu. This backlash has caused Paik's past controversies to resurface as well, including a video uploaded to Paik's YouTube Channel in May 2024, where it showed an indoor liquefied petroleum gas canister near a brazier in an indoor kitchen, violating the Safety Control and Business of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Act. This could lead to fines of up to 40 million KRW under the act. In his most recent controversy, on Apr 21 this year, former TV producer Kim Jae-hwan accused Paik of abusing his power towards staff on the 2015 live competition show My Little Television. In a YouTube video, the former producer said: 'Paik gradually began making unreasonable demands on the broadcasting company, insisting that only his designated writers and filming teams be included in the programme. "This undermines the chemistry between the producer and the filming team, which is essential to the atmosphere of the show. If the filming team is only trying to please Paik, the on-set authority naturally shifts to him." Kim alleged that behind the scenes, Paik would remove cast members he did not like, which producers had to apologise for on behalf of the chef. 'Most stars are cautious when it comes to staff issues – but Paik was different. Once word got out that he had a close relationship with the TV executives, he got his way,' the former producer added. But not all of Paik's staff share the same sentiment. Another producer from My Little Television told South Korean newspaper Hankook Ilbo that there was no abuse of power when they worked together and that both the crew and Paik had put in significant effort to ensure the show's success. Despite the backlash, Paik is still scheduled to appear in the second season of Netflix's Culinary Class Wars, with filming reportedly already underway, as well as in the third season of South Korean TV network tvN's The Genius Paik, where he opens Korean restaurants in foreign countries where few people know his name or Korean cuisine.
The Star
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Culinary Class Wars judge Paik Jong-won accused of workplace bullying
South Korean celebrity chef and entrepreneur Paik Jong-won is also the chief executive officer of Theborn Korea group. Photo: Straits Times File Food critic Paik Jong-won, the star of Netflix's hit cooking competition Culinary Class Wars (2024) and a prolific food-and-beverage entrepreneur, faces an uncertain future amid mounting controversies about him, ranging from workplace abuses of power to violations of food-related regulations. The 58-year-old was reported to authorities for allegedly breaching country-of-origin labelling laws for food products in March. A soybean paste produced by Paik's company, Theborn Korea, was marketed as a domestically made product despite using imported ingredients. Theborn Korea is also accused of violating the Farmland Act by producing the soybean paste in an agricultural promotion zone in South Korea, where making products with foreign raw materials is prohibited. He has also been criticised for the company's line of canned ham, or luncheon meat, that reportedly has pork content lower than industry leader Spam, despite costing more. A line of tangerine beer has also received backlash for its minimal tangerine content. Netizens also noticed that in one of Paik's old YouTube videos filmed in a test kitchen, an indoor liquefied petroleum gas canister was placed near a brazier. This is a violation of South Korea's Safety Control and Business of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Act that can result in fines of 40 million won. Adding fuel to the fire are accusations of workplace power abuses. A former producer from South Korean broadcaster MBC claimed that Paik made unreasonable demands while starring in the variety series My Little Television (2015 to 2017), which undermined production. In a YouTube video, the ex-producer Kim Jae-hwan said Paik insisted on working with writers and filming crews he handpicked, and pushing out cast members of the show he disliked. Producers had to apologise to cast members removed from the show. Still, Paik has his defenders. A TV director who previously worked with him downplayed the claims, telling South Korean media outlet Korea Economic Daily that no misconduct had occurred during their collaboration. Despite the controversies, Paik remains a fixture in the South Korean entertainment landscape, with multiple projects in the works. He is scheduled to appear in the second season of Culinary Class Wars . Filming is reportedly underway, though Netflix declined to comment on his involvement. Paik is also set to appear in the third season of TV channel tvN's reality series The Genius Paik (2023 to present), a show anchored by Paik as he leads a group of celebrities to run a restaurant in a foreign country. An online post circulating on April 27 included a photo, purportedly of Paik filming the new season in France, though tvN has yet to comment on his participation. Meanwhile, MBC announced on April 14 that it will delay the airing of Chef Of Antarctica , a new show featuring Paik preparing meals for researchers spending winter at the South Pole. The show also features boy band Exo member Suho as part of the regular cast. Filming wrapped at the end of 2024, with the show initially set to air in April. MBC cited schedule adjustments due to special news broadcasts and the upcoming South Korean presidential election as reasons for the delay, and denied speculation that Paik's ongoing troubles led to the postponement. – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
Straits Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Culinary Class Wars judge Paik Jong-won accused of workplace bullying and food regulation violations
South Korean celebrity chef and entrepreneur Paik Jong-won is also the chief executive officer of Theborn Korea group. PHOTO: ST FILE SEOUL - Food critic Paik Jong-won, the star of Netflix's hit cooking competition Culinary Class Wars (2024) and a prolific food-and-beverage entrepreneur, faces an uncertain future amid mounting controversies about him, ranging from workplace abuses of power to violations of food-related regulations. The 58-year-old was reported to authorities for allegedly breaching country-of-origin labelling laws for food products in March. A soybean paste produced by Paik's company, Theborn Korea, was marketed as a domestically made product despite using imported ingredients. Theborn Korea is also accused of violating the Farmland Act by producing the soybean paste in an agricultural promotion zone in South Korea, where making products with foreign raw materials is prohibited. He has also been criticised for the company's line of canned ham, or luncheon meat, that reportedly has pork content lower than industry leader Spam, despite costing more . A line of tangerine beer has also received backlash for its minimal tangerine content. Netizens also noticed that in one of Paik's old YouTube videos filmed in a test kitchen, an indoor liquefied petroleum gas canister was placed near a brazier. This is a violation of South Korea's Safety Control and Business of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Act that can result in fines of 40 million won (S$36,415). Adding fuel to the fire are accusations of workplace power abuses. A former producer from South Korean broadcaster MBC claimed that Paik made unreasonable demands while starring in the variety series My Little Television (2015 to 2017), which undermined production. In a YouTube video, the ex-producer Kim Jae-hwan said Paik insisted on working with writers and filming crews he handpicked, and pushing out cast members of the show he disliked. Producers had to apologise to cast members removed from the show. Still, Paik has his defenders. A TV director who previously worked with him downplayed the claims, telling South Korean media outlet Korea Economic Daily that no misconduct had occurred during their collaboration. Despite the controversies , Paik remains a fixture in the South Korean entertainment landscape, with multiple projects in the works. He is scheduled to appear in the second season of Netflix's Culinary Class Wars. Filming is reportedly underway, though Netflix declined to comment on his involvement. Food entrepreneur Paik Jong-won (left) and Michelin-starred chef Anh Sung-jae in Netflix's cooking reality competition series Culinary Class Wars. PHOTO: NETFLIX Paik is also set to appear in the third season of TV channel tvN's reality series The Genius Paik (2023 to present), a show anchored by Paik as he leads a group of celebrities to run a restaurant in a foreign country. An online post circulating on April 27 included a photo, purportedly of Paik filming the new season in France, though tvN has yet to comment on his participation. Meanwhile, MBC announced on April 14 that it will delay the airing of Chef Of Antarctica, a new show featuring Paik preparing meals for researchers spending winter at the South Pole. The show also features boy band Exo member Suho as part of the regular cast. Filming wrapped at the end of 2024, with the show initially set to air in April. MBC cited schedule adjustments due to special news broadcasts and the upcoming South Korean presidential election as reasons for the delay, and denied speculation that Paik's ongoing troubles led to the postponement . THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
