Culinary Class Wars 2 chef Im Sung Geun is facing rapid fallout across entertainment and retail industries after admitting to multiple drunk driving offenses over the past decade.
On January 19th, industry sources confirmed that Im will no longer appear on future home shopping programs. Although he was seen selling products on Shopping N that day, the segment was pre-recorded. Additional scheduled slots through the 20th will also air only as previously filmed content, with no new broadcasts planned.
Shopping N explained, “Our channel operates on recorded programming, and the January 19th and 20th segments were completed in advance. Canceling them would violate regulations set by the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Communications Commission.”
Im publicly addressed the issue on his YouTube channel on the 18th, saying, “I did not want to hide this. I believed it was right to apologize to my subscribers. I am sorry for causing concern.”
The backlash quickly extended to television. JTBC canceled his planned appearance on Knowing Bros, while KBS and Stars’ Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant also confirmed his removal. MBC is currently reviewing the already-filmed episode of Omniscient Interfering View, and Hangout With Yoo stated that his appearance was never confirmed.
With both broadcasters and home shopping networks stepping back, Im Sung Geun’s rise has been met with a swift industry-wide cutoff, raising questions about whether he can regain public trust.
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