Story Shared on Online Community
"I Apologize for Various Issues Related to Theborn"
As Baek Jongwon, CEO of Theborn Korea, has recently been embroiled in a series of controversies, on June 1 a note written by a franchise owner of Theborn Korea has attracted attention online.
A user on the online community DC Inside shared that they had ordered Baekboy Pizza for delivery in their neighborhood the previous day and posted a photo of a note received from the store owner in the "Baek Jongwon’s Alley Restaurant Gallery." In the note shown in the photo, the franchise owner wrote, "Thank you for choosing Baekboy even in these difficult economic times. I sincerely apologize for any concerns caused by various issues related to Theborn. I will continue to run my business without losing my original intentions. I have prepared your order with great care. I hope you enjoy your meal and stay healthy. Thank you for your order."
The user commented, "I sometimes receive notes like this from owners when I order through delivery apps, but most of them are just cliche phrases asking for a good review and don’t really move me. But the letter from the Baekboy Pizza owner brought me to tears." The user added, "Why should the owner apologize? Public sentiment toward Baek Jongwon seems to have reached a point of no return, and it’s unfortunate that the franchise owners have to shoulder all the risk." The post concluded, "Everyone is just trying to make a living, but it’s heartbreaking that owners will continue to suffer because of something that may not end anytime soon. These people are innocent heads of households and the biggest victims."
People who read this story had mixed reactions. Some expressed sympathy for the franchise owners’ difficult situation, saying, "I’m in tears from early morning. What did the owners do wrong?", "This makes me want to try ordering Baekboy Pizza," "I also go to Baekdabang and other places with this kind of mindset," "I never thought much about the owners, but seeing the note really touched me," and "Baek Jongwon really needs to support the owners."
On the other hand, some netizens responded coldly, saying, "It’s true the owners are in a tough spot, but they should claim compensation from Baek Jongwon," "It’s also the owners’ fault for joining a franchise just because of Baek Jongwon’s name," and "They should have considered this kind of risk from the beginning."
Previously, CEO Baek became embroiled in a series of allegations, including controversy over the price of Baekham, false labeling of tangerine beer content, failure to indicate the origin of food ingredients, suspected violations of the Farmland Act, inadequate LPG safety management, and sexual harassment interview controversy. As a result, on May 6, he announced he would suspend all broadcasting activities and focus on management. He stated, "Now, as Baek Jongwon the entrepreneur, not the broadcaster, I will devote all my passion and energy to the growth of Theborn Korea," and appealed, "I will take this crisis as an opportunity for a second founding. Please give me three months."
Following the controversies, Theborn Korea’s franchise sales reportedly plummeted. According to data submitted by Chae Kyugeun, a member of the Innovation Party for the Fatherland, from the Financial Supervisory Service, a compilation of data from four credit card companies?Samsung, Shinhan, Hyundai, and KB?showed that since February, sales of Theborn Korea’s major brands have decreased by nearly 20% on average. Stock investors also suffered significant losses. According to Naver Pay’s "My Assets Service," the average purchase price for 5,846 shareholders was 37,513 won, and based on the current stock price (27,100 won), the average loss rate was calculated to be about 27.76%.
Theborn Korea has introduced a franchise support program worth about 30 billion won. As part of this support, the headquarters is currently running a franchise discount event, fully covering the cost of discounts for franchisees.
Meanwhile, about three weeks after announcing the suspension of all broadcasting activities, CEO Baek reappeared on May 30 through Theborn Korea’s official YouTube channel. On that day, a series of Shorts videos titled "I am a OOO Owner" were uploaded to Baek Jongwon’s official YouTube channel. The videos featured actual owners of Theborn Korea’s major brands?including Yeondon Bolkatsu, Makioreum, Yeokjeon Udon, Rolling Pasta, Hongkong Banjeom, Saemaeul Sikdang, Richun Market, and Wonjo Ssambapjip?personally introducing and promoting their stores. The videos included a warning stating, "Malicious secondary use, such as groundless speculation or slander against the owners featured in this video, may constitute a violation of portrait rights and copyright and may be subject to sanctions," and the comment function was disabled.
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