Chef Im Sung-geun Announces Hiatus from Broadcasting Amid Controversies, Restaurant Opening Still on Track

Chef Im Sung-geun, who has a history of five DUI offenses and an assault conviction, has announced a hiatus from broadcasting activities. Despite this, his restaurant opening is still scheduled for March.

According to sources close to Im, the restaurant, located near Simhaksan in Paju, is set to open as planned in March. Im has been preparing for the restaurant launch following his appearance on 'Black and White Chef 2' and has been sharing updates on the construction progress via social media. The restaurant is nearly complete, with an opening expected between February and March.

In a recent interview, Im officially announced his decision to step back from broadcasting. Previously, he faced criticism for revealing his four DUI offenses and one assault conviction. In 1999, Im was fined 5 million won for a DUI incident where he drove approximately 3 kilometers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.153%, well above the legal limit, without a license on his wife's motorcycle. This incident led to a 37-day detention.

The incident occurred during a probation period. In 1998, Im was sentenced to 8 months in prison with a 2-year probation and a fine of 300,000 won for violating traffic laws. His appeal was dismissed in 2000.

Additionally, Im was fined 2 million won in 2009 and 3 million won in 2017 for DUI offenses. In 2020, he was caught driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.14% in Guro-gu, Seoul, resulting in a 1-year prison sentence with a 2-year probation, 80 hours of community service, and 40 hours of mandatory driving education.

Im also admitted to an altercation in a parking lot near Noryangjin, which resulted in mutual injuries and a fine of 300,000 won. He stated, "Both parties sustained injuries during the scuffle, and I paid a fine of about 300,000 won. To my knowledge, this is the extent of my legal issues."

Regarding the DUI controversies, Lim acknowledged his responsibility, stating, "Drunk driving is clearly my fault, and I deserve criticism a hundred or a thousand times over." He added that he is preparing an apology video to address the issue.

Reporter: Kim Se-ah, TenAsia haesmik@tenasia.co.kr