"My Throat Was Like a Grape Office"... Illegal Business Confession by 'Heukbaek Chef' Yubibim, Closing Down the Rice Restaurant

Confession of Illegal Business and Apology via SNS
Annual Sales Revealed to Reach Several Hundred Million Won

As cast members of the Netflix variety show 'Black and White Chefs' recently faced turmoil over personal and financial issues, now 'Bibim King' Yubibim (60) has confessed to illegal business operations and apologized. On the 1st, Yubim posted on his social media (SNS), "With a heavy heart, I want to confess my past mistakes."

As cast members of the Netflix variety show 'Black and White Chef' have recently faced turmoil due to personal and financial issues, now 'Bibim King' Yu Bibim (60) has confessed to illegal business operations and issued an apology.
[Photo by Yu Bibim Instagram]

In the post, Yubim stated, "I have run various businesses such as fruit stalls, street food carts, and beauty salons, but repeatedly failed. Since 2003, I operated a restaurant in an unlicensed location, was arrested, and received a suspended sentence. I deeply reflected and closed the store for a year." He continued, "However, due to financial hardship, I registered as a performance, exhibition, and Korean food experience business operator under my wife's name and operated through loopholes until recently. I earnestly appealed to various public institutions and the Regulatory Reform Committee to ease regulations so I could run the restaurant legitimately, but the barriers were too high, and I could not achieve my goal."

According to Yonhap News Agency, Yubim was prosecuted for illegal business operations (violation of the Food Business Act) for running a restaurant in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do without notifying the district office and equipping cooking utensils, and was sentenced to eight months in prison in 2015. The sentence was later reduced to a suspended sentence on appeal. At that time, Yubim’s restaurant, which rented state-owned land with an annual lease fee of only 980,000 KRW, became known as a popular eatery, with annual sales reaching several hundred million KRW.

He was reportedly fined several times previously for violating related laws. The court at the time stated, "Considering the long-term repeated disregard for the law, continued illegal operations despite repeated crackdowns, changing business owners to evade the law, and accumulated net profits from illegal operations amounting to several hundred million KRW, a severe punishment is necessary to serve as a warning."

Netflix variety show 'Black and White Chef: Culinary Class War' cast members Triple Star and Chef Lee Young-sook have been embroiled in controversies over personal life issues and financial problems.
[Photo by Netflix]

Regarding this, Yubim confessed, "I understand that breaking the law cannot be justified for any reason. My wife and I have not had a single peaceful day since I suddenly became the center of attention as an ordinary person." He added, "I will return to my original intention, study the bibim phenomenon, and devote myself to writing the Bibim Encyclopedia. With a repentant heart, I will open the restaurant space I have passionately cultivated for 20 years as a free exhibition and performance venue for bibim for everyone. At Bibim Sori, which relocated to Hanok Village, I will respond legally and do my best with the finest ingredients." He concluded, "I apologize for causing great disappointment due to my shortcomings. If the past 20 years were for making a living, the next 20 years will be dedicated to Korea’s bibim culture."

Earlier, on the 30th of last month, Dispatch reported on the complicated personal life involving Triple Star (real name Kang Seung-won), his ex-wife A, and ex-girlfriend B. Additionally, in mid-last month, Maeil Shinmun reported that Chef Lee Young-sook, winner of Korean Food Battle 2, borrowed 100 million KRW from A, the representative of Na-gyeong Mushroom Farm, to start a local restaurant but has not repaid it for 14 years. Meanwhile, amid the successive controversies involving 'Black and White Chefs' cast members including Bibim King, Netflix stated, "It is difficult to verify the personal matters of the cast members," expressing a cautious stance.