‘Chef of Antarctica’ has finally premiered, but public reaction toward featured cast member Baek Jong Won, CEO of The Born Korea, remains cold.
On November 17th KST, MBC’s 'Chef of Antarctica' aired its first episode. The program follows the process of serving warm, comforting meals to overwintering crew members who live in isolation under the harsh conditions of Antarctica, driven only by their sense of duty.
Baek Jong Won explained why he chose to go to Antarctica, saying, “I was really shocked this summer. The price of napa cabbage was no joke. Antarctica is basically where climate change begins. The people who are there researching it are enduring very tough conditions. I wondered what I could do for them. It felt like a small sense of mission.”
Visiting as an honorary expedition member, Baek and the team arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile, about 40 hours after departing Korea. However, due to sudden bad weather, they were stranded there for five days. Only after that were they able to step onto Antarctica, then transfer by rubber boat for about 40 minutes to finally reach the King Sejong Station.
Filmed last November, ‘Chef of Antarctica’ was originally scheduled to air in April, but the broadcast was postponed. Baek Jong Won and The Born Korea became embroiled in multiple controversies—from criticism over expensive ham gift sets to alleged violations of the Food Sanitation Act, Farmland Act, and origin labeling regulations—leading to the show’s indefinite delay.
The road to broadcast nearly a year after filming was anything but smooth. On November 11, just six days before the first episode, groups including the Yeondon Pork Cutlet Franchisee Council, the Korea Franchise Association of Attorneys, the National Franchisee Association, and People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy held a protest in front of MBC’s Sangam headquarters in Mapo-gu, demanding that the network “immediately withdraw its decision to air the show.” They added, “If the broadcast must go ahead, delete Baek Jong Won’s scenes.”
At the time, MBC stated it had “no particular comment,” while The Born Korea countered, saying, “These are unilateral claims made by five franchisees from just one specific brand out of roughly 3,000 franchise owners under The Born, supported by the National Franchisee Association.”
In the end, the show aired as planned—but online reactions after the premiere have been frigid. While the concept of serving a warm meal to Antarctic crew members who work in extreme conditions was positively viewed, many viewers took issue with Baek’s appearance at the center of numerous unresolved controversies. Comments such as “Talking about ‘a sense of mission,’ seriously?”, “After everything he’s done, instead of taking responsibility he ran off to Antarctica,” “The ones calling him and the one appearing are both the problem,” and “The broadcaster is just as bad” poured out across online communities.
Baek Jong Won rose to fame through MBC’s My Little Television, earning nicknames like “Sugar Boy” and “Sugar Daddy.” He built up his current level of recognition and influence through numerous TV appearances. For this reason, some critics now refer to him as “a monster created by the media.”
In addition to ‘Chef of Antarctica’, Baek is also set to appear in 'Culinary Class Wars 2' on Netflix this December. With many controversies still unresolved, it remains uncertain whether Baek Jong Won will be able to regain the public’s trust as he returns to broadcasting. While broadcasters likely went through tough internal debates over whether to air shows featuring him, now may be the time to seriously consider whether his presence on screen is truly what viewers want right now.
SEE ALSO: Baek Jong Won returns with 'The Chef of South Polar'; MBC confirms no replay available
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