The Fall of a Mentor? Why Paik Jong-won is Being Edited Out of “Culinary Class Wars 2”

In Culinary Class Wars Season 2, fans have noticed a significant drop in lead judge Paik Jong-won’s screen time. While international fans might find this puzzling, the reason lies deep within a series of controversies in Korea. From a “National Mentor” to a target of public criticism, here is the Korean perspective on why Paik is being “erased” from the show.

[The Core of the Controversy]

1. The “Paik-Ham” (Canned Ham) Irony It all started with “Paik-Ham,” a canned ham launched by Paik. Despite his long-standing reputation for advocating “low prices and high quality” on his hit show Baek Jong-won’s Alley Restaurant, this ham was expensive and had a lower meat content than expected. Fans felt betrayed as he had previously pressured small business owners to lower their prices while being “generous” with his own product’s pricing.

2. False Origin Labeling & Franchise Issues Further controversies emerged regarding The Born Korea’s soybean paste. While marketed as using 100% Korean ingredients, it was revealed that imported Chinese ingredients were used. Following this, the Yeondon Ball Katsu franchise dispute erupted, exposing inconsistencies between his TV persona and his actual business practices.

3. Hypocrisy in Business & “Shocking” Festivals Critics pointed out that while Paik preached consistency and quality to TV contestants, his own franchises suffered from inconsistent tastes. Other issues, such as spraying apple juice from a pesticide container at a regional festival and receiving excessive government subsidies, added fuel to the fire.

[Korean Perspective: A Betrayal of Trust]

In Korea, there is a strong sentiment against “Naeronambul” (double standards). Paik Jong-won was once considered one of Korea’s “Top 3 Teachers,” built on an image of a humble businessman for the common people.

However, many Koreans now feel this was a calculated image-making strategy. To the public, it feels like a massive betrayal of their trust. Imagine if Gordon Ramsay was discovered to be a fraud; that is the level of shock Koreans are experiencing. Some even speculate that these moves were orchestrated behind the scenes for his company’s Stock Market Listing (IPO). Regardless of the truth, he became a target for a public that feels cheated, leading the Culinary Class Wars production team to cut his scenes to avoid backlash.