Baek Jong Won, CEO of 'Theborn Korea', has issued a public apology and announced that he will suspend all broadcast activities in light of recent controversies.

On May 6th KST, Baek released a video statement, saying, “I sincerely apologize once again for the many issues that have come to light this year. I will step away from my role as a TV personality and fully commit to the transformation and growth of Theborn Korea as its CEO.”

He continued, “We are currently identifying and working to correct the root causes of issues related to product quality, food safety, and hygiene. With organizational restructuring underway, we aim to make 2025 the start of a second founding for our company.”

Baek also emphasized his commitment to franchisee support. “I’ve been meeting directly with franchise owners to listen to their urgent concerns. We plan to roll out a large-scale support program soon, with the mindset of sharing head office profits,” he said.

Concluding the statement, he said, “If I have hurt anyone through my actions on television, it was entirely my fault and negligence. With the exception of programs currently being filmed, I will suspend all broadcasting activities.”

Baek bowed his head and said he would “return to his roots and start over.”

The statement comes as Baek has recently faced a series of allegations — including substandard ingredients in his brand’s sausages (“Paik-ham”), hygiene violations, farmland law breaches, inappropriate interview practices involving alcohol, mislabeling of ingredient origins, and use of industrial-grade cookware.

SEE ALSO: Netflix’s 'Culinary Class Wars' Season 2 continues filming amid Baek Jong Won controversy