Court Rules 'Daepae Samgyeopsal' Originated in Busan, Not from Baek Jong-won

A court has ruled that it is difficult to conclude that Baek Jong-won, CEO of Theborn Korea, was the first to develop "daepae samgyeopsal" (thinly sliced pork belly), a claim he has consistently maintained.

The Anyang Branch of the Suwon District Court recently ruled against the plaintiff in a damages suit filed by a Theborn Korea franchise owner against YouTuber and former journalist PD Kim Jae-hwan.

The lawsuit began after PD Kim raised suspicions on his YouTube channel, stating, "Baek Jong-won did not originally develop daepae samgyeopsal."

The franchise owner claimed that PD Kim’s actions "damaged the brand's value and led to a decline in sales," prompting the lawsuit for damages.

CEO Baek has claimed in various broadcasts and interviews that he was the first to develop daepae samgyeopsal.

He has argued that he created the menu after observing that frozen pork belly, when put through a meat slicer, came out in thin, curled strips like wood shavings from a plane.

Theborn Korea’s official website also states that "CEO Baek Jong-won developed it in 1993," and Baek even registered "daepae samgyeopsal" as a trademark in 1998.

However, during his reporting, PD Kim presented testimonies from merchants in the Busan area, reporting that daepae samgyeopsal had been popular in Busan since the late 1980s, about a decade earlier than the late 1990s.

In the process, he shared an interview with a merchant who recalled, "They didn't serve daepae samgyeopsal on a plate; they gave us a whole plastic basket full of it."

The court found PD Kim’s claims to be justified.

The court noted, "It appears that daepae samgyeopsal was already popular in Busan starting in the 1980s," adding, "Daepae samgyeopsal does not require a special manufacturing process; if you slice pork belly thinly with a meat slicer, it naturally takes on a curled shape."

The court further ruled, "Given the various controversies surrounding CEO Baek Jong-won, it cannot be concluded that the YouTube video is directly linked to the decline in sales."

In response, Theborn Korea stated, "This was a lawsuit filed by an individual franchise owner due to malicious videos by a YouTuber," adding that they are preparing appropriate protection measures to ensure that franchise owners do not suffer repeated damages.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Seo Byeong-wook | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Source: YouTube_Kim Jae-hwan's Ojaena, Theborn Korea Official Website | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.