Survival show contestant Im Seong-geun sparked controversy after appearing on a home shopping live broadcast immediately following his public admission of past drunk driving offenses. Just a day after posting a handwritten apology, he went on air to promote a product, prompting criticism over the sincerity of his remorse.
On the morning of the 19th, Shopping NT aired a live segment titled “Im Seong-geun’s Next-Level Boneless Galbijjim” (galbijjim: Korean braised short ribs). Im appeared for about 20 minutes, promoting the product in his signature confident style. He told viewers, “I’ve been cooking Korean food for over 40 years. You can trust me with the sauce,” and “I cook in large quantities — I’m not the type to fuss over tiny batches.” Notably, he made no reference to the recent DUI controversy.
The day before, on the 18th, Im had publicly confessed on his YouTube channel to three past DUI incidents. He admitted, “I made mistakes because I enjoy drinking,” and explained, “I was criminally punished, my license revoked, and later reinstated.” He also released a handwritten apology, writing, “I thought continuing activities while hiding my past wrongdoing would be deceptive.”
Parts of his explanation, however, raised doubts. While Im claimed that in some cases he “was caught after starting the engine and falling asleep in the car,” Ilyo Shinmun reported that in a 2020 incident he actually drove about 200 meters with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.141%, fueling criticism that he may have downplayed the facts.
His immediate appearance on a home shopping show drew backlash, with viewers commenting, “He apologized, but nothing about his actions has changed,” and “Is it right to jump into a sales broadcast without any reflection?” Others defended him, noting, “He already faced legal repercussions — attacking his livelihood goes too far.”
Known by nicknames such as “Im-jjjang” and the “middle-aged beast,” Im had long been a fan favorite, which has made the disappointment sharper. As his post-confession actions continue to attract scrutiny, attention is on how he will take responsibility moving forward in Culinary Wars.