Culinary Class Wars judge Paik Jong-won accused of workplace bullying and food regulation violations

SEOUL – South Korean food critic Paik Jong-won – the celebrity judge of Netflix’s hit cooking competition Culinary Class Wars (2024) and a prolific food-and-beverage entrepreneur – faces an uncertain future amid mounting controversies, ranging from workplace abuse of power to violations of food-related regulations.

The 58-year-old was reported to the authorities for allegedly breaching country-of-origin labelling laws for food products in March. A soya bean paste produced by his 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 soya bean paste in an agricultural promotion zone in South Korea, where making products with foreign raw materials is prohibited.

Paik has also been criticised for the company’s line of 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$36,000).

Adding fuel to the fire are accusations of workplace power abuse. 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).

In a YouTube video, Kim Jae-hwan said Paik insisted on working with writers and filming crews he picked, 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 worked with him downplayed the claims, telling South Korean media outlet The Korea Economic Daily that no misconduct 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 under way, and 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 where 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 him 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 in 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. It denied speculation that Paik’s ongoing troubles led to the postponement. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK