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'Culinary Class Wars' judge Paik Jong Won halts all TV appearances amid controversies

The food mongul said he will be focusing all his attention on his food franchise company.

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May 07, 2025, 05:25 PM

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Paik Jong Won has announced that he will be stepping away from all television appearances except for those he's currently filming, amid controversies surrounding his food franchise company Theborn Korea.

The celebrity chef, famous for his appearance as a judge on Netflix's "Culinary Class Wars", was accused of abusing his power in the workplace and violating food codes.

In a statement released through his company on May 6, Paik announced that he will devote all his energy and passion to the growth of Theborn Korea as a businessman, not a TV personality, according to Korean news outlets.

He also released a five-minute YouTube video titled “Starting Over from the Beginning”, where the chef addressed the allegations raised against him and his company this year.

"All of these problems stemmed from me," Paik said, explaining that he wanted to take time to "express [his] regrets directly, face-to-face".

This is Paik's third apology since the scandal began.

Previously, he apologised to the public in a written statement and in person at a shareholders’ meeting in March.

Paik said that he and his company are identifying "the root causes of all issues" relating to quality, food safety and festival hygiene, and will work to "resolve them one by one".

The celebrity chef also addressed allegations that he abused his power during the filming of "My Little Television".

He allegedly removed cast members he disliked and made unreasonable demands, such as letting his "designated writers and filming teams be included in the programme".

Paik said that he was aware of the serious allegations; he said that if his words or actions hurt anyone during the production of shows, it was entirely his fault.

He added that he should have remained humble, especially after receiving so much support.

Paik said that, except for programmes already in production, he will suspend all broadcast activities and focus his attention entirely on the company's franchisees, shareholders, and customers.

He remarked that he will treat 2025 as a "new founding year" for the company.

The celebrity chef owns Paik’s Coffee, Paik’s Bibim, and Bornga among other brands.

Top image via Paik Jong Won/YouTube

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