Baek Jong Won and BTS’s Jin-backed liquor distributor Baeksoolga has been cleared of allegations regarding violations of the Country of Origin Labeling Act.
On December 23 KST, the Hongseong Branch of the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office announced that it had decided not to indict Baeksoolga and one related individual, who had been forwarded for investigation on suspicion of violating the Country of Origin Labeling Act, citing insufficient evidence.
The controversy began in September when a netizen filed a complaint through the National Petition System, claiming that the origin labeling of IGIN, a liquor brand distributed by Baeksoolga, was inaccurate.
The complainant argued that the country-of-origin labeling on IGIN highball tonic products (plum flavor and watermelon flavor) sold through online shopping malls could mislead consumers.
However, prosecutors determined that the product detail pages clearly stated “plum concentrate (foreign origin: Chile)” and “watermelon concentrate (foreign origin: United States)”, accurately disclosing the origins of the imported ingredients. In addition, they considered the fact that the actual manufacturing and production processes took place in Yesan County, South Chungcheong Province. Based on these factors, the prosecution concluded that it was difficult to establish a violation of the law.
Baek Jong Won previously faced widespread criticism in January when a gift set of canned ham produced by The Born Korea, the restaurant franchise company he founded, became embroiled in a pricing controversy.
Subsequently, a series of allegations followed, including violations of LPG safety regulations and the Farmland Act, false labeling of tangerine beer alcohol content, and failure to indicate the origin of food ingredients. Amid the mounting controversies, Baek Jong Won released an apology video and announced a temporary suspension of his broadcast activities.
After approximately six months away from the spotlight, he has since resumed activities by appearing on MBC’s 'Chef of the Antarctica'. More recently, he drew attention for serving as a judge on 'Culinary Class Wars 2'.
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