South Korean culinary expert Baek Jong-won, who hosts many high-rating variety shows, is facing a plummeting image as his company, "The Born Korea," was exposed for illegally using Chinese ingredients to produce products. The company apologized on March 12, and after "The Born Korea" had a successful listing last year, its stock price has since been halved, causing Baek Jong-won's popularity to hit rock bottom.
According to Chosun Ilbo, "The Born Korea"'s factory, located in the Agricultural Promotion Zone in Yesan County, South Chungcheong Province, was recently revealed to use Chinese soybean paste and other foreign soybeans and wheat as ingredients. However, South Korean law stipulates that processing factories in agricultural promotion zones can only use domestic agricultural products and seafood, drawing significant public attention and backlash towards Baek Jong-won.
According to the latest reports from Korean media, although Baek Jong-won has repeatedly apologized recently, he still finds it difficult to salvage his plummeting image. It is understood that his new show, "Chef of Antarctica," which was recently quietly announced to be indefinitely postponed. It was originally scheduled to premiere in April, then postponed to May, and now it has been decided to delay the broadcast.
Source: Liberty Entertainment