Chef Sung Anh’s YouTube channel has temporarily shut down amid ongoing controversy.
On May 13th, the production team behind Chef Sung Anh’s YouTube channel announced via the community page that the channel would be taking a break to reorganize its overall operations and content production process. The team thanked subscribers for their continued support and said they hoped to return with more responsible and improved content.
Chef Sung Anh, who gained widespread popularity after appearing on Culinary Class Wars in 2024, launched his YouTube channel in February 2025. The channel currently has around 1.23 million subscribers.
Although the official reason for the hiatus was described as “channel reorganization,” many subscribers believe the break is connected to the recent controversy surrounding MOSU Seoul, the fine dining restaurant operated by Chef Sung Anh.
Last month, allegations surfaced online claiming that a customer who ordered the “Château Léoville Barton Saint-Julien 2000” through MOSU’s wine pairing service was instead served a 2005 vintage worth approximately 100,000 KRW ($67) less. According to the customer, staff later brought out the 2000 vintage from another floor only after the issue was pointed out.
The controversy quickly spread online, especially after popular wine YouTuber Wineking, who has approximately 680,000 subscribers, publicly criticized the incident. In a video, Wineking argued that the situation could not simply be dismissed as a mistake and described it as “wine fraud.” He also suggested that the real victims may have been customers on another floor who unknowingly had part of their wine served elsewhere, despite paying for the full bottle.
While Mosu Seoul later issued an apology through social media, the response was met with criticism from many netizens, who described it as vague and lacking accountability. Critics pointed out the absence of detailed explanations, disciplinary measures regarding the sommelier involved, or any clear compensation plan for the affected customer.
On May 6th, Chef Sung Anh personally posted a lengthy apology statement on social media, saying that all incidents occurring at the restaurant were ultimately his responsibility. He apologized for disappointing customers and promised stricter management to prevent similar situations from happening again.
However, controversy reignited almost immediately after the apology was posted when a new YouTube video was uploaded according to the channel’s regular schedule. Although the upload was reportedly a highlight compilation made from existing footage, many viewers criticized the timing, arguing that the channel appeared more focused on maintaining content schedules than sincerely reflecting on the incident.
A week later, the channel posted a notice announcing its temporary hiatus instead of the usual weekly upload.
The channel’s comment section has since been flooded with critical responses from subscribers, including comments such as, “Why not just say you’re taking time to reflect?”, “Apologizing isn’t that difficult,” and “Are you trying to avoid the controversy?”
The issue also expanded beyond MOSU itself after Wineking announced the cancellation of his scheduled pop-up event at COEX. In a video titled “I Apologize. May Pop-up Cancelled,” he explained that the event was canceled because the agency involved could not fully assume responsibility for licensing and permit-related risks.
However, some netizens questioned whether the cancellation was connected to his public criticism of MOSU.
Meanwhile, MOSU Seoul previously became the first restaurant in Korea to earn three Michelin stars. Although it was excluded from Michelin evaluations during a temporary hiatus last year, the restaurant returned to the guide this March with a two-star rating.
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