Baek Jong-won Under Investigation for Misleading Product Origin Claims

Baek Jong-won, the CEO of The Born Korea, is currently under police investigation for allegedly violating food labeling and advertising laws. He is accused of promoting a new product while misrepresenting its origin, claiming it was domestically sourced when it actually contained Chinese ingredients.

On March 21, the Gangnam Police in Seoul confirmed that they received a complaint against Baek through the National Petition System and have initiated an investigation.

The controversy centers around the promotional campaign for the new product, 'Chewy Sweet Potato Bread,' which was advertised on social media with the slogan 'Our Agricultural Products, Our Baekdabang.' However, other promotional materials disclosed that the product contained some Chinese sweet potatoes.

The complainant posted on an online community on March 20, alleging that Baekdabang intentionally omitted the 'Chinese' label in their advertisements, claiming this was not merely an editing error but a deliberate act to mislead consumers into believing the product was made from domestic ingredients. The complainant also filed a petition with the Gangnam District Office, demanding corrective action and a halt to production at Baekdabang.

This incident follows a recent controversy involving Baek, where he faced backlash for allegedly exaggerating discount rates in a promotion. On March 16, the Special Judicial Police of the Agricultural Products Quality Management Agency began investigating The Born Korea for violations related to origin labeling, reporting that the company falsely labeled the origins of soy sauce, fermented soybean paste, and agricultural processed products, leading to orders for the removal and correction of these labels.