Chef Baek Jong-won’s ‘Chef of Antarctica’ First Broadcast… Netizens’ Cold Reaction
Culinary researcher Baek Jong-won returned to broadcasting after six months, but the online public opinion remains cold. On the 17th, MBC’s ‘Chef of Antarctica’ featured Baek Jong-won visiting the Sejong Science Base in Antarctica with actors Im Soo-hyang, EXO’s Suho, and Chae Jong-hyeop to serve meals to the wintering team.
Baek explained his reason for going to Antarctica, saying, “I was surprised this summer. The price of cabbages was no joke,” and added, “Antarctica is the starting point of climate change. I wondered how I could help those enduring hardships there for research.”
He continued, “If you can do it, you should. It’s somewhat of a sense of duty,” explaining his background for visiting Antarctica as an honorary crew member.
The broadcast showed Baek’s group arriving in Punta Arenas, Chile, about 40 hours after leaving Korea, only to be stranded for five days due to sudden weather changes. Baek expressed his feelings at the time, saying, “I thought it was acceptable for the first day’s cancellation, but as it continued, I wondered if only the chosen ones could enter. I was worried about what to do if we couldn’t get in.”
After a five-day wait, the team successfully entered Antarctica and traveled approximately 40 minutes by inflatable boat to reach the Sejong Base. Ahn Chi-young, the team member in charge of the kitchen, stated, “In an isolated environment for a year, three meals a day are the greatest joy for the crew. We always wish someone could cook for us.”
However, online reactions were cold. Netizens commented, “After causing so much trouble, why go all the way to Antarctica?”, “Even if the company doesn’t fail, ordinary people who invested their life savings are crying tears of blood. Why cook in Antarctica?”, “If people don’t want to watch, the broadcasting station should consider that.”
In particular, criticisms about the show included, “There is a certified chef at the base, so why does an unqualified businessman go there?”, “The program itself is uninteresting. It’s a cliché format with a forced concept.”
‘Chef of Antarctica’ completed filming in November of the previous year, but its airing, scheduled for April this year, was postponed. Baek’s company, Theborn Korea, faced numerous controversies starting with high-priced ham gift sets, violating the Food Sanitation Act, the Farmland Act, and errors in origin labeling, leading the broadcast to be indefinitely postponed.
Baek announced in May, “I will focus on corporate reform” and declared he would halt all broadcasting activities. However, he made a comeback with this broadcast after six months and is set to meet viewers again in December with Netflix’s ‘Black and White Chef 2.’
By Park Ji-hye, bjh@bntnews.co.kr
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