Baek Jong Won, a well-known South Korean restaurateur and TV personality, is under renewed scrutiny after his recent clarification about using a pesticide sprayer at a local food festival. Despite his claim that the sprayer was newly bought, the public response remains predominantly negative.
On May 8, ex-MBC producer Kim Jae Hwan shared details from his recent conversation with Baek, which took place on May 3 following Baek's return from filming 'The Genius Paik 3' in France. Kim, who had previously accused Baek of misusing his influence in the industry, confronted him about past allegations and the recent pesticide sprayer controversy.
Baek emotionally questioned Kim on why he was being targeted and denied mistreating restaurant owners on his show 'Baek Jong Won’s Alley Restaurant,' as claimed by Kim. He stated that he merely pointed out mistakes when needed.
When questioned about using a pesticide sprayer for distributing apple juice at the festival, Baek defended himself by stating that it was a new container, not previously used for pesticides. However, this justification drew immediate criticism online for not addressing the issue that the container was unsuitable for food, regardless of its newness.
The backlash intensified as users pointed out his inconsistency, such as criticizing a shop owner for using a plastic water tank due to potential food contamination but defending his use of an inappropriate sprayer. This contradiction led many to accuse him of hypocrisy.
Even after Baek proposed a private meeting to discuss matters further without cameras, Kim declined, leading to a long conversation between the two on May 4 at The Born Korea headquarters. Kim intends to release the full interview on May 12.
This recent controversy adds to a series of scandals involving Baek Jong Won and The Born Korea franchise, starting from the 'Paik Ham' controversy earlier this year. The issues highlighted include using Brazilian chicken in meal kits, misleading labeling on mandarin-flavored beer, unsuitable storage practices, retaliatory store openings, and other hygiene-related problems. Following public remorse for the controversies, Baek announced a suspension of all broadcast activities to concentrate on managing his company.