Regarding The Born Korea and Yeduk Academy
Baek's Side: "Many Claims Are Inaccurate"
Baek Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea, has been accused of violating building laws.
Recently, the Yesan Police Station in Chungnam received consecutive complaints against The Born Korea, operated by CEO Baek, and Yeduk Academy, where he serves as chairman. The allegations include violations of the Farmland Act, Mountainous Area Management Act, and Building Act. It is claimed that The Born Korea's Baekseok Factory in Oga-myeon, Yesan-gun, Chungnam, illegally used a warehouse without farmland conversion permission, and the cafeteria of Yesan High School, operated by Yeduk Academy, was illegally run on land registered as forest land.
Baek Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea, is expressing his thoughts at The Born Korea KOSPI listing ceremony last year. Photo by Yonhap News
Upon learning of these facts, The Born Korea stated, "There are many inaccuracies," and added, "We are currently organizing our related position."
Yeduk Academy was established in Yesan, Chungcheongnam-do by Baek Jong-won's grandfather, Baek Chang-hyun. Baek Chang-hyun is recognized for his contributions to education and has received awards such as the National Medal of Moran and the Private School Promotion Merit Award. Since assuming the chairmanship of Yeduk Academy in 2012, CEO Baek has occasionally donated food ingredients to schools under the foundation and provided special meals to students.
Recently, CEO Baek has been facing consecutive controversies. Ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, Baek's 'Baek Ham Gift Set' was criticized for having a lower pork content than the industry's top product while being excessively expensive. Subsequently, The Born Korea stopped selling the product on its official online mall.
Additionally, a video showing CEO Baek cooking indoors with a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder nearby was uploaded on YouTube, resulting in The Born Korea receiving a fine of 1 million won.
Previously, The Born Korea's Baekseok Factory received prior notice from administrative authorities for using nearby vinyl greenhouses for purposes other than those reported and subsequently demolished them. The vinyl greenhouses were reported as fixed agricultural greenhouses when installed in 2012 but were actually used as warehouses for storing equipment. Accordingly, the county delivered prior notice to The Born Korea before administrative orders for restoration of the violating structures. After receiving the notice, Baekseok Factory responded with an intention to voluntarily demolish the problematic greenhouses, and it has been confirmed that the demolition was recently completed.
A representative of The Born Korea's Baekseok Factory stated, "The greenhouses have been used continuously with temporary building extension reports since the past," adding, "It is true that they were used as warehouses for boxes and materials, and after receiving prior notice, they were demolished following proper procedures."
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