[비즈한국] Baek Jong-won, CEO of Theborn Korea475560, once hailed as the "nation’s mentor," has recently fallen into what many would call a "crisis." Some say he has "lost his original intent," while others claim "his true colors have been revealed." However, he never lost his original intent, nor did he ever hide his true colors. Baek Jong-won has been a consistent person from beginning to end. It is just that the way he has lived his life and the image the public expected of him were different. The essence of Baek Jong-won is neither a teacher nor an entertainer. He is, through and through, a businessman.
His work teaching cooking, helping small businesses, and revitalizing local alleys touched many people. Yet, all those scenes ultimately led to a single outcome. What Baek Jong-won built was not merely public favor, but a massive brand called "Theborn Korea." Whether reviving a single shop or making a program a success, every action contributed to enhancing his brand value and expanding profitability. People watched this process and expected a "kind teacher," but what Baek Jong-won always looked at were numbers, the market, and business. And he was astonishingly proficient in this world of business.
The reason he moved between broadcasting companies several times can be understood in the same context. At one point, rumors circulated in the industry that Baek Jong-won had made unreasonable demands on a broadcaster. It was said that after a program became a huge success, he wanted to own the trademark rights himself. This was not simply a matter regarding appearance fees or scheduling rights; it was effectively a demand for equity in the content itself. It was a request the broadcaster could not easily accept, and this reportedly caused cracks in his relationship with them.
However, this is not something to be criticized. A businessman can naturally claim ownership over a successful brand that bears his name. Depending on negotiations, he could claim as much as he wants. For Baek Jong-won, broadcasting was not just a means of gaining popularity. It was part of his brand expansion strategy, and ultimately, a natural attempt to take all the value into his own hands. What he demanded was neither excessive nor immoral. It was just a different direction from the public's expectation that he would remain like a kind teacher.
Baek Jong-won's business sense was fully demonstrated not only on air but also offline. In recent years, he has actively jumped into the regional festival consulting business by partnering with local governments. On the surface, he put forward the justification of revitalizing the local economy, preventing overcharging at festivals, and creating a "fair marketplace." At times, he clashed with existing vendors and directly bumped heads with local government administration. The public viewed such scenes as if he were a revolutionary. They revered him as a righteous figure trying to break unfair structures and set new standards.
But if you look at it cool-headedly, this, too, is a thoroughly calculated business. In the process of improving the quality of festivals and curbing overcharging, Baek Jong-won ultimately strengthened the credibility of Theborn Korea’s brand. By creating the perception that "a festival managed by Baek Jong-won is different," he paved the way for his company's expansion into local business. Furthermore, it created various business opportunities such as future entry into local commercial areas, promotional agency services, and food ingredient supplies. Ultimately, his actions were not for the region or for the realization of pure public good. The place that ultimately profited was his company, Theborn Korea.
However, there is one point that needs to be addressed. Broadcasting is inherently expected to guarantee a certain level of public interest. Even if commercial elements cannot be removed, it must basically provide objective and reliable information to viewers and uphold educational functions and public responsibility. Was it justified for broadcasters, who should do so, to package a businessman as a "national mentor" and encourage people to revere him like a "public asset"? The broadcasters must have clearly known that Baek Jong-won was a thorough businessman. Yet, they focused solely on promoting him as a philanthropist and using that image to boost ratings and advertising revenue. This is an act of deceiving the public while also damaging the public value of broadcasting itself. No matter how much the status of terrestrial broadcasting has declined, there is a limit that must be respected.
It is only natural for Baek Jong-won as an individual to pursue his own profit. The problem lies in the fact that the broadcasting industry, local governments, and the system surrounding him—which masqueraded as serving the public—enabled this, and at times actively exploited it. The public believed in the illusion created as a result, and now only a cold reality remains where that illusion once stood. If you are disappointed in Baek Jong-won, half of that disappointment should be directed at the broadcasters and the system. They are now paying the price for trading public trust for commercial gain.
Baek Jong-won is not a teacher. He is not an entertainer. He has been a consistent, thorough businessman all along. He has not changed. It is just that we have repeated, once again, the "familiar play" of creating a hero out of necessity and then tearing that hero down ourselves as time passes.