Theborn Korea executive accused of inappropriate conduct during interview with female applicant
Theborn Korea CEO Paik Jong-won speaks at the company’s first regular shareholders meeting at Spaceshare Gangnam Station Center in Seoul’s Seocho District on Mar. 28. Yonhap
An executive at Theborn Korea, the company run by celebrity chef Paik Jong-won, is facing allegations of inappropriate behavior after he invited a female job applicant to a drinking session under the pretext of a second interview.
According to JTBC’s investigative program "Crime Chief," which aired on Monday, the woman had applied to become a franchise owner at a traditional market in Yesan County, South Chungcheong Province.
She said that after a formal interview, she was contacted by a company executive, identified as “A,” who invited her to what he described as a “second interview,” held over drinks.
The applicant said she felt pressured to attend because the invitation came directly from a senior executive. During the meeting, A showed her a YouTube video featuring himself on Paik Jong-won’s channel and made remarks regarding his level of influence within the company.
He allegedly said, “The merchants in this video begged me to be selected. I have full authority,” and added, “I can arrange a meeting with CEO Paik.”
The executive then allegedly encouraged her to drink, citing a personality test, and asked invasive questions. He said, “My wife ran away when our child was young, and we divorced,” and then asked, “Don’t you have a boyfriend? You shouldn’t if you want this job.”
The woman also claimed that during a later group dinner with successful franchisees, A made unwelcome physical contact. “He patted my thigh under the pretense of encouragement,” she said. “When a colleague who witnessed it confronted him, he replied, ‘Anyone watching would think I did something serious,’ and the atmosphere became tense.”
She added that A repeatedly made comments such as, “Why isn’t the lady drinking? You need to drink so we can have drinks after work too.”
JTBC’s “Crime Chief” reenacts the incident as a comic strip. Captured from JTBC
After she began refusing further drinking sessions, the woman said she experienced retaliation. She alleged she was forced to change her menu and was moved from a prime location to a less favorable one, ultimately leading to poor sales, debt and the closure of her store.
In response to the allegations, Theborn Korea said, “The employee in question has been immediately removed from duty. We are taking this matter very seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation through an external agency to determine whether any illegal activity occurred. We will take strict action based on the findings.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.