Prosecutors have cleared Paik Jong Won’s food company, THEBORN KOREA, in a case involving alleged violations of the country-of-origin labeling law.
According to legal sources on January 5th, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office concluded last month that there was insufficient evidence to charge both a THEBORN KOREA employee and the company itself. The case was officially closed on December 29th.
The investigation centered on claims that several products, including soybean paste and spicy octopus stir-fry, listed certain ingredients as domestically sourced on online shopping platforms despite containing imported components.
The case was initially forwarded to prosecutors in June of last year after special judicial police under the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service determined there were grounds for indictment. However, after prosecutors ordered a reinvestigation, the special police reversed their stance and resubmitted the case on December 24th with a recommendation of no charges.
Prosecutors ultimately determined that it was difficult to establish intent or criminal responsibility on the part of the employee involved in the labeling process, leading to a decision not to pursue the case further.
Paik, a celebrity chef and restaurateur widely known to global audiences through Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, has not been personally charged in connection with the matter.
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