The police have launched a preliminary investigation into Baek Jongwon, CEO of Theborn Korea, and the corporation itself on suspicion of violating the Food Sanitation Act.
Baek Jongwon, CEO of Theborn Korea, held a press statement and Q&A session in front of the media after completing the first regular shareholders' meeting held in March at Space Share Gangnam Station Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
According to the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul on May 8, the police are currently conducting a preliminary investigation based on a complaint received through the National Sinmungo system. The complaint alleges that Baek and Theborn Korea supplied cooking equipment to franchise stores without undergoing the required sanitary inspection procedures.
The cooking equipment in question is a "chicken bone fryer," which was supplied to 54 locations of Theborn Korea's beer franchise brand, Baek's Beer. The complainant claims that this equipment was manufactured and distributed without following the verification procedures set by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Under the current Food Sanitation Act, equipment, containers, and packaging must be reviewed by a food testing and inspection agency designated by the Minister of Food and Drug Safety.
Previously, the police also investigated Baek and Theborn Korea for allegedly using cooking equipment made from industrial metal at a local festival and causing it to be mistaken for food-grade equipment. In addition, investigations are underway into other allegations, including the mislabeling of the country of origin for Baekdabang's sweet potato bread and the provision of false information in advertisements for the "Deopjuk" product.
As the controversy continued, Baek recently announced that he would suspend his broadcasting activities.
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