[비즈한국] Last year, various controversies arose, primarily within online communities, regarding the MBC program 'Chef of the Antarctic.' The cast and crew of 'Chef of the Antarctic' utilized food supplies stored at the King Sejong Station (Sejong Station) and stated that they did not bring any of their own food from South Korea. This led to accusations that they might have violated the State Property Act. However, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries explained that it was not a violation of the law because food supplies are not considered state property. Nevertheless, criticism continues regarding the fact that the show used the station's food supplies for the production of a broadcast program.
The appearance of Baek Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea475560, in 'Chef of the Antarctic' drew significant attention. It is difficult to say the program was a major hit, as its viewership ratings remained in the 1~2% range. The show was also caught in a PPL (product placement) controversy, as the dishes Baek prepared were similar to the menu items of The Born Korea. In response, The Born Korea clarified, "It is an over-extrapolation to link the food shown on the broadcast with our brand's menu."
Another controversy involves the fact that the cast and crew of 'Chef of the Antarctic' used food supplies at the Sejong Station. This raised the possibility of a violation of the State Property Act within online communities, based on the reasoning that food supplies at the station could be considered state property purchased with taxpayer money. Article 7 of the State Property Act states: "No one may use or profit from state property without following the procedures and methods prescribed by the State Property Act or other laws."
Furthermore, Sejong Station staff do not have the authority to permit the use of such supplies. The use of state property requires permission from the head of the relevant central administrative agency. Sejong Station falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The production team of 'Chef of the Antarctic' has not made any official statement regarding whether they received permission to use the food supplies.
Even if they had received permission to use the station's food, problems still remain. According to the State Property Act, usage permits for public or corporate property can only be granted to the extent that it does not hinder their intended use or purpose. However, if the production team's use of these supplies leads to shortages, it could negatively impact the meals provided to the resident station personnel.
Bizhankook asked the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries for their position on these controversies. The Ministry replied that the food supplies at Sejong Station are not classified as state property, indicating that there is no particular issue. According to the State Property Act, the scope of state property includes: real estate and its appurtenances; ships, buoys, floating piers, floating docks, aircraft, and their appurtenances; machinery and equipment used by government enterprises or facilities as specified by Presidential Decree; surface rights, easements, jeonse rights, mining rights, and equivalent rights; and securities, etc.
Food supplies are not specified in the scope of state property defined by the State Property Act. Therefore, they claim there was no need for permission from the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries. Still, it seems difficult to avoid moral criticism. Regardless of the current law, it is a fact that the 'Chef of the Antarctic' production team used food supplies from the Sejong Station. They were not performing an official duty, but rather using the food for the profit-oriented purpose of producing a television program.
Meanwhile, CEO Baek Jong-won announced via YouTube last March that he would "suspend all broadcasting activities except for the programs currently being filmed." After staying away from TV programs for a while, Baek appeared in 'Chef of the Antarctic' last year and is currently appearing on the Netflix variety show 'Culinary Class Wars 2'. 'Culinary Class Wars 2' is enjoying immense popularity, ranking 1st in the Netflix Global Top 10 TV Shows (Non-English) category.
However, The Born Korea's performance shows no signs of improvement. The company's sales decreased by 21.51%, from 346.9 billion won in the first three quarters of 2024 to 272.3 billion won in the first three quarters of 2025. The Born Korea's profitability is also poor, having recorded an operating loss of 20.6 billion won in the first three quarters of 2025.