TV
Baek Jong-won to Proceed with 'Black and White Chef 2' Filming Amid Controversies
According to TenAsia's report on the 13th, Baek Jong-won will participate in the first recording of Netflix's 'Black and White Chef 2' at the end of this month. Chef An Sung-jae will also return as a judge, just like in Season 1. There were speculations that filming might be delayed due to Baek's 'CEO risk.' However, the production team decided to stick to the original schedule to meet the release timeline for the second half of the year.
The production team of 'Black and White Chef 2' stated, "There are only two judges in the program. Baek Jong-won, in particular, offers a different charm compared to Chef An Sung-jae," adding, "We've been preparing for a while, and with the first recording approaching, we need to proceed as planned."
Baek Jong-won has faced several controversies this year. He was criticized for selling a 'Paik Ham Gift Set' that was more expensive yet contained less pork than the industry-leading product ahead of the Lunar New Year. His YouTube channel showed him cooking next to an LPG gas cylinder, and he faced backlash for including Brazilian chicken in a meal kit meant to support local farmers.
There were also issues regarding the insufficient content of tangerine beer, violations of farmland and mountain management laws related to Baekseok Factory and Yeduk Academy, and accusations that 'Hanshin Pocha Nakji Bokkeum' sold on The Born Korea's The Born Mall used Chinese garlic despite being labeled as domestic.
The series of controversies have led to negative public opinion about Baek Jong-won, raising concerns that the variety shows he appears in might be adversely affected. In addition to 'Black and White Chef 2,' Baek Jong-won is also set to appear in MBC's 'Chef of Antarctica' and tvN's 'Business Genius Baek Sa-jang 3.'
Reported by Ryu Ye-ji, TenAsia ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr
