Producer defends Paik Jong-won amid abuse of power allegations
Paik Jong-won, CEO of Theborn Korea, speaks at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting at the Spaceshare Gangnam Station Center in Seoul, March 28. Yonhap
Paik Jong-won, CEO of Theborn Korea and a prominent television personality, is once again facing controversy, this time over allegations of abuse of power raised by former MBC producer Kim Jae-hwan. However, not all staff who have worked with Paik share that view.
A producer who previously worked with Paik on the hit show "My Little Television" told the Hankook Ilbo that both the crew and Paik had made great efforts to ensure the show’s success.
“We filmed up to four days a week. Since it involved visiting restaurants across the country, just getting to the shooting locations often took five to six hours,” the producer said. “There were many days when filming, including travel, lasted more than 15 hours.”
According to the producer, Paik showed immense passion and even contributed personal funds when the production budget fell short. He added that there was no abuse of power during their time working together — no cast members were replaced at Paik’s request, and Paik did not demand specific writers or crew members be assigned.
“He worked with staff he met for the first time on set,” the producer said, describing their time together as “a positive memory.” He declined to be named, saying he did not want to appear to be taking sides in the current controversy and admitting he could not speak to Paik’s conduct in all circumstances.
Allegations of abuse of power
The abuse allegations surfaced Monday through a YouTube video titled "Can Paik Jong-won recover? How media and Paik use each other," uploaded by the channel 45 Plus.
In the video, producer Kim Jae-hwan claimed that Paik’s behavior changed significantly after the success of "My Little Television."
Kim said that Paik began making increasingly excessive demands of broadcasters, including pushing for his preferred writer and production teams to be hired. “For a PD, harmony with the crew is key to maintaining the mood on set,” Kim said. “But when Paik brought in his own people who focused solely on pleasing him, the power dynamic shifted entirely in his favor.”
Kim also alleged that individuals Paik disliked were quietly removed from broadcasts. “The PD or chief producer had to visit those who were dropped and apologize on Paik’s behalf,” he said, adding that frustration among production staff had been simmering for some time.
“Once people knew Paik had personal ties with TV executives and saw him as a major star, everything started going his way. Some network executives even boasted of those connections and promised to ‘take good care of him,’” Kim said.
“This is a matter related to broadcasting, and the company cannot independently verify the facts," an official from Theborn Korea told the Hankook Ilbo. The official added, however, “Our understanding is that the claims are completely untrue.”
Paik has starred in numerous popular food-focused variety shows, including "My Little Television," "Street Food Fighter," and "The Genius Paik."
His upcoming show "Chef of Antarctica" is also set for release. He has recently been under public scrutiny for separate controversies involving food origin labeling and farmland law violations.
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.