Baek Jong-won summoned for approximately five hours of police investigation regarding misrepresentation of origin of food.
Cooking expert and THE BORN KOREA CEO Baek Jong-won is currently under police investigation.
The Gangnam Police Station in Seoul recently summoned Baek Jong-won for approximately five hours of investigation on suspicion of violating the Food Labeling and Advertising Act and the Food Sanitation Act. This is the first such action in approximately four months since police summoned and investigated THE BORN KOREA officials as suspects in May.
Baek Jong-won is accused of using phrases such as “domestically produced” and “naturally produced” in advertising THE BORN KOREA products that use ingredients from Vietnam. He is also suspected of misleading customers into believing that the sweet potato buns sold at his franchise cafes were domestically produced.
Baek’s Beer, operated by THE BORN KOREA, is also suspected of commissioning a specific company to manufacture cooking equipment for boiling chicken bones last year and distributing the equipment to 54 affiliated stores without separate hygiene and safety inspections.
The Gangnam Police Station in Seoul is also currently investigating allegations that Baek Jong-won used cooking equipment made from industrial metals at a local festival, causing people to mistakenly believe it was for food.
It is reported that during the investigation, the police focused on whether Baek Jong-won was aware of these allegations and gave direct instructions.
Previously, Baek Jong-won had come under fire for THE BORN KOREA’s country of origin labeling issue, the controversy surrounding local festivals, inappropriate employee behavior, and allegations of tyranny on television. In response, he apologized through THE BORN KOREA’s website, saying, “I feel deep responsibility and sincerely apologize for causing concern to so many people due to various issues.” He continued, “Beyond apologies and explanations, we will fulfill our responsibilities as a listed company and work hard to innovate with a desperate determination to restore trust. We will thoroughly address the issues that have been raised intensively since the beginning of this year and will definitely be reborn.”
Baek Jong-won is scheduled to return in December through season 2 of the Netflix variety show “Black and White Spoon.” This will mark his first appearance in season 2 since announcing in May that he would “suspend all program activities” amid various controversies.
