Actor and TV personality Lee Jang Woo has become embroiled in controversy after a livestock supplier claimed that payments for ingredients supplied to a restaurant associated with him were left unpaid for months.
According to a report by Dispatch, a livestock distribution business owner in Cheonan alleged that the restaurant Hoseokchon, which Lee promoted on various broadcasts, had accumulated more than 40 million KRW(~27,000 USD) in unpaid ingredient bills.
The supplier said he began supplying pork products such as pig heads, intestines, and trotters in November 2023 after meeting Lee in person while the actor was preparing to open the restaurant. Initially, payments were made on time, but the payment cycle gradually became delayed and eventually stopped altogether.
The supplier claimed that the outstanding balance eventually grew to 64 million KRW, although partial payments later reduced the amount to around 40 million KRW. He said he repeatedly asked for payment through messages, explaining that the growing unpaid balance was placing significant strain on his business.
Meanwhile, representatives connected to the restaurant reportedly argued that Lee was not directly responsible for the management of the business, stating that a longtime friend had been operating the restaurant and may have mishandled the payments. They added that Lee only participated briefly during the early stages of the restaurant’s opening.
However, the supplier maintained that he agreed to supply the restaurant largely because of Lee’s involvement and public promotion of the business.
“I delivered the ingredients because I believed in Lee Jangwoo,” the supplier said. “I don’t care about the internal situation of the restaurant. I just want the overdue payment to be settled as soon as possible.”
SHARE
