MBN variety show 'Altoran' acknowledged allegations of unauthorized recipe use and issued an official apology. Regarding the claim that the 'spinach noodles' introduced by Lee Sang Min were identical to the recipe of temple food YouTuber Jeong Wi Seunim, the production team admitted the mistake and bowed their heads.
On the 22nd the 'Altoran' production team issued an official statement saying, "We apologize to Jeong Wi Seunim and viewers who were distressed by this incident," adding, "It was a mistake by the production team for not reviewing the materials more thoroughly."
Earlier, Jeong Wi Seunim's side raised allegations of unauthorized use through the YouTube channel 'Jeong Wi Seunim's vegetable meal', saying, "The spinach noodles introduced by Lee Sang Min on the Dec. 7 broadcast are identical in ingredients and quantities as well as cooking method to the banquet noodles presented by Jeong Wi Seunim," and claimed that the method of halving a whole potato in the broth, seasoning with goji powder, then placing raw spinach and pouring hot broth was the same.
Jeong Wi Seunim's side said they were "astonished and sorry to see a dish perfected through decades of vegetarian living suddenly appear as a celebrity's recipe," and said they had taken a hard line by posting inquiries on viewer boards, notifying the broadcaster, filing a rights infringement review with the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), and sending a certified letter.
As the controversy spread, the 'Altoran' production team explained, "While considering ways to eat spinach not as namul or soup but in a new way, we tested various recipes including vegan and temple food," and said, "In the process we encountered a recipe that used goji powder for depth of flavor through SNS and AI searches, but we failed to confirm that it was a menu introduced on Jeong Wi Seunim's YouTube channel."
They added, "There is no excuse; it was the production team's oversight," and, "We visited Jeong Wi Seunim in person, explained the circumstances and apologized. The monk also offered warm advice," promising to prevent recurrence and stressing, "We will exercise greater care in program production."
However, regarding the 'silent treatment' controversy alleged by Jeong Wi Seunim's side, they explained, "We did not intentionally delay responding, and we apologize that a prompt reply was not made because we failed to check the bulletin board in time," and added, "We have not received a certified letter or other contact."
This controversy drew more attention when footage aired of Lee Sang Min introducing the spinach noodles as if they were his own devised recipe. With the production team admitting unauthorized use and apologizing, the debate over the recipe's source appears to be settling.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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