Baek Jong Won’s company, TheBorn Korea, which has recently been under fire for a string of controversies, including a mislabeling of product origin and spraying sauce with a pesticide sprayer, is now facing yet another food hygiene scandal.

On April 9, photos and videos were uploaded to an online community showing raw meat left exposed to sunlight without any packaging in the back of a truck at a barbecue festival held in November 2023 in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province.

According to the post, a large quantity of raw meat was left outdoors in a truck bed, covered only by a thin transparent plastic sheet, without any proper hygienic storage equipment. Festival staff were seen moving the meat while wearing only short-sleeve shirts and gloves, without any dedicated sanitary gear, despite the meat being left at room temperature.

The post further pointed out that the temperature in Hongseong at the time was around 25°C (77°F), which is not suitable for storing meat at room temperature, highlighting the lack of hygiene in handling the meat.

According to Article 44 of the Food Sanitation Act, business operators must handle food hygienically to prevent spoilage, damage, or contamination. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's "Food Standards and Specifications" Article 4 states that refrigerated foods such as meat must be transported at 0°C to 10°C, and frozen foods at -18°C or lower. It also requires that the packaging must not be damaged during transportation or allow direct contact with external surfaces. If, as shown in the photos and videos, the meat was left exposed in a truck for an extended time, it may constitute a violation of food handling regulations, potentially subject to legal penalties.

As of 5 PM on April 9, the post had reached around 230,000 views. Comments were flooded with criticism, saying, “Shouldn’t they obviously be using refrigerated trucks?” “Are they trying to cook it with solar heat? This is outrageous,” and “Is this TheBorn Korea again?”

If TheBorn Korea is found to be responsible for this incident, public backlash is expected to intensify, especially given their recent string of controversies. The company reportedly participated in planning and managing certain brands for the 2023 and 2024 Hongseong Barbecue Festivals. However, with recent issues involving franchise management, product origin labeling, and internal employee treatment, this latest incident could further damage the company’s image.

That said, it has not yet been officially confirmed whether the footage is indeed from the Hongseong Barbecue Festival or whether Theborn Korea was directly responsible for supervising the event. However, comparisons with other festival scenes suggest that the banner designs match those used at the Hongseong festival, making it likely to be the same event.

In an interview with this publication, a representative from TheBorn Korea stated, “As we mentioned in our previous apology, we are thoroughly reviewing everything and working to improve the situation.” They added, “We plan to build a monitoring system in cooperation with external experts and will do our best to ensure consumers feel safe.”

The Hongseong Barbecue Festival, held by the Hongseong County government in 2023 and 2024, was intended to promote local agricultural and livestock products. It drew tens of thousands of visitors and was considered the largest event in the region. However, criticism is growing that hygiene and safety management were neglected due to controversies involving Theborn Korea, prompting calls for a comprehensive review of how local governments outsource events and enforce food safety standards.

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