Franchise Owners Report Severe Damages, Urge Headquarters for Emergency Action
"We Will Block False Information Threatening Owners' Livelihoods"
The dining franchise company Theborn Korea, led by CEO Baek Jongwon, is taking strong action against a YouTuber who spread false information about the company and its CEO. The company is abandoning its previous stance of silence at the headquarters level and is now joining forces with franchise owners for a collective response.
The dining franchise company Theborn Korea, led by CEO Baek Jongwon, is taking strong action against a YouTuber who spread false information about the company and its CEO.
On August 8, Theborn Korea announced that the Franchise Owners' Council, a coalition of store owners, is demanding a firm response to a series of videos posted by certain YouTubers targeting Theborn Korea and CEO Baek. The council pointed out that these videos have been spreading baseless suspicions and maliciously edited content.
On August 7, the council submitted an official request to headquarters for an emergency meeting of the Coexistence Committee. The request was jointly signed by the franchise owners' councils of major brands such as Paikdabang, Hongkong Banjeom, Yeokjeon Udon, Saemaeul Sikdang, and Hanshin Pocha.
In the request, the franchise owners stated, "Certain YouTubers are engaging in excessive surveillance and tracking of Theborn Korea and its affiliates, solely with the intention of slandering and inciting hatred against Theborn Korea." They added, "After indiscriminately raising suspicions, they maliciously spread these claims, and the recent use of the broadcast title 'Goodbye Baek Jongwon' is clear evidence of a targeted campaign."
The council particularly emphasized that YouTubers are attacking each of Theborn Korea's brands based on false claims, resulting in direct business losses for the franchise owners. The false claims highlighted by the council include: allegations that Saemaeul Sikdang and Hongkong Banjeom use low-quality ingredients; claims that Paikdabang held a 500-won promotion to dispose of coffee beans nearing their expiration date; and accusations that the 3,900-won Jjajangmyeon promotion at Hongkong Banjeom used expired sauce.
The franchise owners argued that "due to these YouTube videos, countless baseless and hateful comments and rumors are spreading uncontrollably, causing direct harm to store operations and pushing owners to the brink of survival."
The council also referenced a recent statement by President Lee Jaemyung at a Cabinet meeting, where he said, "Strong sanctions, including punitive damages, are necessary against YouTubers who spread fake news." The council emphasized, "The president's commitment to fundamentally blocking the spread of illegal and false information directly corresponds to the real damages our franchise owners are facing."
In response to the official request from franchise owners, Theborn Korea will convene an emergency Coexistence Committee meeting within this month. The Coexistence Committee is an official body established to institutionalize a practical structure for mutual benefit between headquarters and franchisees, and will develop a comprehensive response strategy to this issue.
A representative from Theborn Korea stated, "We have refrained from responding to certain malicious YouTubers who repeatedly spread unverified false information to increase their view counts, because we believed that any response would simply generate more content for them, which would in turn lead to further harm for our franchise owners. However, since the franchise owners themselves have requested action in response to the serious damages they are experiencing, we plan to implement thorough and strong countermeasures."
The representative added, "As the damages to franchise owners continue to accumulate, we will clarify the facts and take a firm stance, including legal action, against baseless slander."
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