"Chef of Antarctica" to Premiere on MBC on the 17th
Paek Jongmin, CEO of Theborn Korea, who had completely suspended his television activities following a series of controversies, is set to return to broadcasting through a terrestrial variety show. It has been six months since he declared in May that he would "stop all broadcasting activities."
According to MBC on the 3rd, "Chef of Antarctica," featuring CEO Paek, will premiere on November 17 at 10:50 p.m. "Chef of Antarctica" is a program that marks MBC's return to Antarctica for the first time in 13 years since "Tears of Antarctica" aired in 2012. The show follows CEO Paek, actress Lim Soohyang, actor Chae Jonghyeop, and Suho of the group EXO as they visit the King Sejong Antarctic Station and prepare a meal for the researchers there. The program was originally scheduled to air in April this year, but after being postponed to May due to the ongoing controversies surrounding CEO Paek, it was then delayed indefinitely.
Hwang Soonkyu, the producer of the program, stated, "Filming began in November last year, and the project was already completed and ready for broadcast. The broadcast was delayed once due to external circumstances, and after issues involving one of the cast members arose, the company also deliberated deeply." He added, "The production team also took this matter seriously and held thorough discussions about the message and direction of the program."
He continued, "Chef of Antarctica is not a 'cooking show' centered on the cast, but rather a climate and environmental project that explores the meaning of coexistence between humans and nature in the extreme environment of Antarctica. We determined that it was important to properly convey this essential value to viewers. Another significant reason for confirming the broadcast schedule was to keep our promise to the staff and partners from various national research stations who collaborated for the filming at the Antarctic base, as well as to the many crew members and partners who participated under challenging conditions."
Previously, CEO Paek was embroiled in various controversies, starting with the high price of a ham gift set, followed by allegations of violating the Farmland Act, false labeling of product origins, and violations of food sanitation laws. After issuing several apologies, he announced in May that he would "suspend all broadcasting activities except for programs currently in production." "Chef of Antarctica" marks his official return to television, six months after declaring the suspension of his activities. Following "Chef of Antarctica," CEO Paek is also set to appear in the Netflix variety show "Black and White Chef 2," which is scheduled to air in December.
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