It has been reported that the Gangnam District Office in Seoul has requested a police investigation regarding allegations of false advertising related to 'Deopjuk', a product from The Born Korea led by CEO Baek Jong-won.
According to MBC on the 28th, the Gangnam District Office has requested a police investigation concerning the allegations of false advertising for 'Deopjuk'. The district office recently summoned employees of The Born Korea and obtained a statement indicating that they did not separately verify whether the shrimp used in Deopjuk was wild-caught.
The advertisement for The Born Korea's 'Deopjuk' included phrases such as 'using domestic kelp, shrimp, and anchovies' and 'plump wild-caught shrimp', but it was found that the shrimp were actually sourced from Vietnam according to the product's ingredient list.
Additionally, the district office plans to issue a corrective order for violations of the 'Act on Labeling and Advertising of Food, etc.'
This controversy began when an informant, referred to as A, raised concerns about the advertising phrases for 'Deopjuk' in an online community on the 26th of last month.
A stated, “The use of the term 'wild-caught shrimp' in the 'Deopjuk' advertisement is a false fact,” and added, “To clarify whether there was a violation of the food labeling and advertising law, I submitted a criminal complaint request to the Gangnam District Office through the National Petition Office.”
A also pointed out, “The Vietnamese white leg shrimp imported and distributed in our country is a farmed product, yet it was labeled as 'wild-caught shrimp' in the advertisement, misleading consumers about the quality and source of the ingredients.”
The detailed page for the product states, “Special broth made with domestic kelp, shrimp, and anchovies,” and “The finishing touch of Deopjuk topping is wild-caught shrimp.” However, the ingredient list for the product indicates 'shrimp (Vietnam)'.
Upon the issue being raised, The Born Korea revised the product description to “Special broth made with domestic kelp” and “Plump shrimp as the finishing touch for Deopjuk.”
The Born Korea was given a deadline to submit opinions until the 24th but reportedly did not submit any significant opinions.
The Born Korea has suffered significant damage to its image, starting with the controversy over the 'Baek Ham Gift Set', followed by various hygiene controversies, and the sexual harassment interview scandal involving employees of The Born Korea.
Amidst various hygiene controversies, a public petition known as the 'Baek Jong-won Prevention Law' has been submitted, requesting the establishment of laws to punish such actions and prohibit the privatization of public festivals. The petitioner stated, “The Born Korea has repeatedly engaged in illegal activities that threaten public health at various local festivals, yet they have not faced any punishment and monopolize the events,” and argued that legal amendments to prevent the privatization of public festivals are urgent.
The Born Korea has suffered significant damage to its image, starting with the controversy over the 'Baek Ham Gift Set', followed by various hygiene controversies, and the sexual harassment interview scandal involving employees of The Born Korea.
Additionally, according to the Yesan County, a company related to The Born Korea received administrative penalties for violating food-related laws by grilling and selling meat using grills that had not undergone metal inspections at the Yesan Beer Festival held in 2023.
In this situation, Baek Jong-won is reportedly filming the tvN entertainment program 'Business Genius Baek Sa-jang' in France. The production team stated that due to the nature of overseas filming, which is difficult to change or cancel, they are filming according to the scheduled timeline.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
