Baek Jongwon Receives Support from Yesan Residents Amid Ongoing Controversies
Banners Express Local Encouragement for Baek's Efforts to Revitalize Yesan
Amid ongoing controversies surrounding Baek Jongwon, CEO of Theborn Korea?including recent allegations of false country-of-origin labeling?residents of Yesan, Chungnam, Baek's hometown, have expressed their support for him through messages displayed on banners. On June 13, Yonhap News reported that the Yesan-eup Village Leaders' Council had recently put up banners along major roads in the area to show their support for Baek.
The banners featured messages such as, "CEO Baek Jongwon, Yesan will always remember and support the quiet sweat and tears you have shed," and "CEO Baek Jongwon, who loves Yesan! All residents of Yesan sincerely support you." Yesan County explained that the banners were installed to show local support and encouragement for Baek's efforts in revitalizing the Yesan market, regenerating the old downtown, and restoring the local economy through festivals. Kim Sooncheol, head of the Yesan-eup Village Leaders' Council, told Yonhap News, "CEO Baek has contributed to his hometown Yesan more devotedly than anyone else," and added, "At a time when attention is so focused on him, I hope the faith and support of Yesan residents will be conveyed."
Since the beginning of this year, Baek has faced a series of controversies, starting with the 'Paekham' incident, followed by allegations of violations of country-of-origin labeling laws, farmland laws, and insufficient ingredient content. In response, he has repeatedly issued apologies through notices on the company website, the YouTube channel, and at shareholder meetings. However, as franchisees continued to experience declining sales, last month Baek announced an emergency support plan worth 30 billion KRW, under which the headquarters would cover all discount, marketing, and promotional costs.
Furthermore, as allegations and expos?s against him continued, Baek recently announced that he would suspend all broadcasting activities and focus on management. To this end, Theborn Korea plans to officially launch a 'Coexistence Committee' at the end of June to facilitate practical communication and sustainable cooperation with franchisees. This committee's launch reflects Baek Jongwon's commitment to creating an innovative partnership model in which franchisees and headquarters grow together, going beyond the mere introduction of a new system. The Coexistence Committee is currently being developed by systematically incorporating on-site demands and difficulties gathered during brand-specific meetings that have been ongoing since early May.
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