(Exclusive Interview ①) Baek Jong-won, CEO of Theborn Korea, continues to receive calls from entertainment programs such as 'Culinary Class Wars 2' and 'Master Chef Season 3,' despite criticism. A producer from the 'Rhapsody' series, which has been observing him for a long time, explained the reason.
On the 29th, a producer from the Netflix 'Rhapsody' series, who has been working closely with Baek Jong-won, responded to a phone interview with OSEN. During the entire conversation, they denied the criticism of 'power abuse' directed at Baek Jong-won and defended him, saying, "If you look at the talent itself, which is commonly referred to as 'talent,' he does more than one person's share. From the production team's perspective, it is undeniable that he is very appealing."
Recently, there has been a formation of criticism against Baek Jong-won regarding the origin labeling of ingredients used by Theborn Korea and the use of festival equipment. During this, a film director from a terrestrial broadcasting company claimed 'power abuse' by Baek Jong-won.
However, shooting for the Netflix original entertainment 'Culinary Class Wars: Culinary Class War Season 2' began at the end of March, and Baek Jong-won participated again as a judge, following the first season. Recently, reports of sightings while filming tvN's new entertainment 'Master Chef Season 3' have spread online. What is the reason that calls from the entertainment industry for Baek Jong-won continue, despite criticism from some areas of the food service industry?
Starting with 'Samgyeopsal Rhapsody' in 2020, the producer from the 'Rhapsody' series, which includes 'Hanwoo Rhapsody,' 'Chicken Rhapsody,' and 'Jajangmyeon Rhapsody,' emphasized the opportunity to work with Baek Jong-won, saying, "Many producers and directors want to work with him. He is very busy, and he is cautious when choosing projects. He is not at all a prolific type, so he is a participant that needs to be chosen when the opportunity arises."
In particular, he asserted, "Compared to other participants, he definitely has a 'producer mindset.' He is not just passively engaged as a program participant; he actively creates the program. That is his greatest strength." He continued, "As someone involved in the broadcast industry, I personally hope that there are no difficulties in the production environment. However, from the production team's standpoint, he is undeniably a very valuable participant. In today's broadcasting environment, I have continued to believe that he is an exceptionally good talent."
He also highlighted, "He is a unique person and a talent. In a way, he is someone with much more talent than just a simple participant, and no one can deny that. His smooth hosting, his producer mindset in creating the program, and his understanding and contemplation of food that fills the gaps are all significant strengths."
In this regard, the 'Rhapsody' producer noted, "The reason that producers want to work on programs with Baek Jong-won is likely because he has the ability to flexibly navigate the program due to the atmosphere he possesses. While fact-checking is crucial and any errors must be scrutinized and addressed, I want to say that there is nothing like 'power abuse.'"
Opinions from some main directors of programs that have worked with Baek Jong-won, in addition to this producer from the 'Rhapsody' series, were similar. Of course, regarding the allegations surrounding Theborn Korea, they stated, "As CEO Baek Jong-won mentioned in his apology, this must be done 'without exception,'" while also emphasizing that he remains an irreplaceable participant for the production team, indicating the ongoing calls for his presence in entertainment.
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by Netflix-tvN.
[OSEN]