Celebrity chef and CEO of Theborn Korea, Paik Jong-won, has announced the resumption of business expansion for his restaurant franchise operator, following the resolution of the majority of allegations leveled against the company last year.
“With most of the allegations now cleared, we are finally resuming business activities that had been put on hold,” Paik stated at Theborn Korea’s annual general meeting held in Seoul on Tuesday. He described 2025 as “a lost year” attributing it to what he referred to as “attacks” on the company.
Theborn Korea, which went public on the Korea Exchange in late 2024, faced intense public and regulatory scrutiny following allegations concerning franchise management and food quality control, including instances of mislabeling ingredient origins and sanitation regulation violations. Amidst the controversy, Paik Jong-won temporarily suspended all TV appearances in May.
Paik Jong-won has since returned to the public eye, notably as a judge on the second season of Netflix’s “Culinary Class Wars,” which premiered in December of the previous year.
While law enforcement authorities have cleared most complaints against Theborn Korea, disputes with some franchisees regarding profitability persist and are currently under review by the Fair Trade Commission.
Addressing shareholders on Tuesday, Paik emphasized his commitment to a hands-on leadership approach, with a strategic focus on expansion into overseas markets including North America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. He also reiterated plans to actively pursue mergers and acquisitions to further growth.
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