Baek Jong-won Apologizes Again Amid Repeated Controversies: "Paekham Production Halted, External Monitoring System Introduced"

Second Apology Issued in Six Days
"We Will Commit to Company-wide Innovation and Full Effort"

As controversies surrounding The Born Korea, led by CEO Baek Jong-won, continue, CEO Baek issued another apology on the 19th. He promised to halt the production of 'Baek Ham,' which was embroiled in disputes over pork content and pricing, and to implement a monitoring system composed of external experts to thoroughly inspect origin labeling and other matters.

Baek Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea

On the afternoon of the same day, CEO Baek stated through The Born Korea's official website, "I bow my head once again to apologize for the disappointment and concern caused by the successive issues related to me." This is the second apology issued just six days after posting an apology on the website on the 13th. He added, "All executives and employees of The Born Korea, including myself, are taking the current situation seriously and are fully committed to company-wide innovation and efforts."

Regarding the controversy over origin labeling violations, CEO Baek said, "We are thoroughly reviewing all product description texts, including some online origin labeling issues," and explained, "We will promptly introduce a permanent monitoring system composed of external experts to ensure consumers can feel safe."

Concerning Baek Ham, which faced criticism for inflating prices with low pork content, he stated, "Production has been halted, and we are developing new products that meet customer demand in terms of taste and quality," promising, "We assure that these products will be competitive in the global market as well."

Regarding the criticism that pesticide sprayers and other tools unsuitable for food were used to spray juice at the 2023 Hongseong Global Barbecue Festival, he said, "We will carefully inspect the equipment used at festivals with customer safety and trust as our top priority and ensure thorough hygiene management," and promised, "Based on past achievements, we will strive to contribute even more to regional economic revitalization through local market, old downtown development, and festival projects."

Finally, he said, "Above all, we will spare no practical support for franchisees who are worried about the current situation for mutual growth," and added, "I will humbly accept all feedback given to me and immediately improve any mistakes."

Recently, noise surrounding CEO Baek and The Born Korea has not ceased. Starting with the controversy over price inflation of the 'Baek Ham Gift Set' released during the Lunar New Year holiday, issues have consecutively arisen regarding tangerine beer ingredient content, cooking indoors with LP gas cylinders, pesticide sprayer usage, origin labeling, and violations of food hygiene laws.

Regarding these controversies, CEO Baek posted an apology on the company website on the 13th, stating, "I deeply reflect on the unacceptable mistakes that occurred during production and distribution processes," and promised, "We will promptly improve all matters, including legal issues."