On the 17th, a media outlet reported that Lee Jang-woo's restaurant has failed to pay over 40 million won (approximately $33,000) for pork offal supplies for about eight months.
Mr. A, who runs a meat distribution company in Cheonan, told Dispatch that he has been supplying to Lee Jang-woo's restaurant since January 2023 and continued until May 2025. He expressed, "I trusted him because he is a celebrity. However, the payment has been delayed for over a year."
He then directly messaged Lee Jang-woo, and instead of a reply from Lee, he received a message through an acquaintance stating, "We will repay 2 million won (about $1,650) monthly," but this promise was not kept. The initial report also mentioned that the restaurant's corporate entity has changed. However, a representative of the new corporation clarified, "Lee Jang-woo is not a co-representative. He only participated briefly at the opening to help a friend and has not been involved in operations since."
Currently, neither Lee Jang-woo's side nor the new corporate entity of the restaurant has provided a clear solution to the unpaid fees issue. Mr. A stated, "I am not interested in the internal affairs of the restaurant. I just want the overdue payments to be settled quickly." In response, Lee Jang-woo's agency, Hunus Entertainment, released a brief statement on the 17th, saying, "We are verifying the facts."
Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr