Chefs and Singles Reveal One After Another... "No Way to Find Out Even with Criminal Record or School Records Check" [Focus]

Dating and Survival Show Revelations Explode After Fame
Even Psychological Evaluations Based on School Records Show 'Lies'
Firm Responses Needed Including Compensation Lawsuits

Netflix 'Black and White Chef: Culinary Class War' broadcast screen. Provided by Netflix

Recently, various content such as dating and cooking competition programs featuring ordinary participants has been produced and gained popularity. While these ordinary participants who have raised their profiles sometimes appear on various programs and emerge as new stars, there has also been a growing number of negative controversies surrounding them. It has become a recurring issue that ordinary participants who suddenly rise to fame get embroiled in scandals involving sexual misconduct, personal life revelations, assault, fraud, and criminal involvement. In some cases where controversies have erupted like a tidal wave, the reputation of the programs themselves has been affected, leaving the production teams helpless and suffering damage.

From Womanizing to Criminal Records... Repeated Participant Controversies

The popular cooking competition program on the online video service (OTT) Netflix, Heukbaek Yorisah (Black and White Chef), saw its participating chefs enjoy celebrity-level popularity, but also faced subsequent revelations.

A former wife of 'Triple Star' (real name Kang Seung-won), Ms. A, claimed that he once demanded she sleep with another man. There were also personal life expos?s involving employment lobbying and womanizing. Allegations of embezzlement of restaurant funds have been raised, and the police are investigating the case.

On the same program, 'Bibim Daewang' (real name Yu Bibim, formerly Yu In-seop) revealed on the 1st that he was arrested and received a suspended sentence for operating a restaurant without permission since 2003. He also admitted to running a Korean traditional food experience center under his wife's name as a loophole for business. The tvN variety show You Quiz on the Block, which Yu Bibim had finished filming, decided not to air the recorded episode. A Korean cuisine master (real name Lee Young-sook) who appeared on the same program was exposed for not repaying 100 million won borrowed from an acquaintance for 14 years, and her appearance fees have even been seized.

Dating reality shows are often followed by a flood of participant controversies. Suspicions arose that Jeong-sook, a contestant on SBS Plus's variety show I Am Solo Season 23, was actually Park Mo, who was arrested in 2011 for theft under the pretense of a transactional meeting. The allegation stated that after posting a transactional meeting notice online and meeting a man, she stole valuables while he was away. Jeong-sook denied the claims, saying, "I have never committed a crime under criminal law that harmed others." Regarding the beauty pageant photo that sparked the controversy, she claimed it was "stolen," but the I Am Solo production team apologized, saying, "We take full responsibility," and completely edited out her footage and deleted the videos.

Archive footage of Jeong-sook from 'I Am Solo.' Screenshot from SBS Plus 'I Am Solo.'

Lee Beom-cheon appeared in 'Kkeut Sarang'. Photo by JTBC from 'Kkeut Sarang' screen capture.

JTBC's End Love, a silver dating variety show targeting participants aged 50 and above, removed all footage of participant Lee Beom-cheon after revelations surfaced that he married in Korea but pretended to be single in the U.S., lied about his academic background, and committed marriage fraud, fathering a daughter.

Dating programs are filmed in a dormitory-style format, capturing the dating process. Since male and female participants mainly date or converse, the partner paired with a controversial participant inevitably suffers damage. Above all, the production team faces significant losses as they must re-edit and recreate the broadcast.

How Is Participant Screening Conducted?

The process of recruiting ordinary participants is as follows. The production team searches for suitable candidates through social networking services (SNS) and personal recommendations. Then, they conduct 3 to 4 rounds of in-depth interviews with the candidates to carry out a form of 'verification.' Since the pool of industry personnel for survival programs is limited, they perform 'cross-checks' with multiple people within the pool to verify facts. Through this, they can grasp some information about participants' usual behavior and personal life issues. However, for dating programs, verification is limited, so they sometimes require criminal record checks and submission of school records.

The production teams are so desperate that they even use psychiatric evaluations and fortune-telling for verification. Kim Jae-won, PD of Netflix's dating reality show Solo Hell, said, "Netflix had know-how from producing various ordinary-person reality programs overseas. We focused on a systematized verification process." He added, "We checked whether participants could endure the stress of being on the show through sessions with psychiatrists and mental health professionals. We cast mentally healthy individuals."

PD Jung Jong-yeon, who directed The Devil's Plan, said, "In a way, it's a divine realm. When I asked if there would be any issues going to a fortune-teller, our participant said there were none."

Although verification systems are being strengthened and know-how accumulated, controversies continue. PD Jung lamented, "The areas where broadcasters can verify participants are limited. It could easily become surveillance." An anonymous survival program director confessed, "We verify participants through various recent procedures, but complete verification is practically impossible." He continued, "We try to understand personal life and reputation through multiple channels, but it's not easy to uncover someone's entire past from childhood. If someone deliberately hides intimate personal matters, there's no way to find out."

Pixabay

Signing Pledges but Lying, What Is the Solution?

It is no longer possible to rely solely on participants' conscience. Most participants sign pledges stating they will "tell only the truth and take responsibility if otherwise," but controversies keep recurring.

Some argue that during the broadcasting contract process, participants should be informed that failure to disclose relevant information making the broadcast impossible will result in liability for damages, and that strong legal action should be taken if problems arise later. According to the current Standard Contract for Public Culture and Arts Performers' Broadcast Appearances, there are clauses stating that "participants must not cause social controversies (such as drug use, gambling, or violations of laws) or engage in conduct that damages their dignity as public culture and arts performers" and "are responsible for compensating all damages caused to the other party due to breach of contract." Holding ordinary participants legally accountable for damages caused to broadcasts can raise awareness and caution.