Restaurant entrepreneur and TV personality Baek Jong-won is preparing full-scale legal action against former PD–turned–YouTuber Kim Jae-hwan and other creators who produce defamatory content. Going beyond a simple warning, the situation has escalated to the point where each video has been analyzed and the company is set to sequentially initiate civil and criminal procedures.
According to industry sources, The Born Korea, led by Baek, has been reviewing legal options since last year after noticing repeated false claims, exaggerated interpretations, and inflammatory edits about Baek and the company on YouTube. In particular, Kim's channel alone has posted numerous videos about Baek and The Born Korea since April 2023, and a significant portion of the content appeared designed to drive views by centering on specific individuals and the company.
After analyzing Kim's videos one by one, The Born Korea said it found many statements that may constitute the dissemination of false information and defamation, and that it is ready to proceed with additional lawsuits. A company representative said, "Our review of the videos is complete, and we will determine responsibility for each video and file civil claims and criminal complaints in sequence."
Kim is already in the thick of legal battles. He previously revealed on his channel, "I received a damages lawsuit from 15 The Born Korea franchise owners seeking 30 million won per person, totaling more than 400 million won." Although he claimed he started making the videos "to help franchisees with their situations," he appeared visibly flustered after being named as a defendant.
Beyond Kim, The Born Korea is pursuing identification procedures through a California court for six YouTubers who have repeatedly slandered CEO Baek, and reports say the identities of three have already been confirmed. The company said, "The damage last year was so great that our activities and plans came to a halt because of them," stressing that action is unavoidable.
What makes the situation even more notable is the False and Manipulated Information Elimination Act set to take effect in July this year. The law provides for damages up to five times the loss when manipulated or distorted information is spread online for unjust profit. The Born Korea plans to intensively file complaints and lawsuits in line with the law's implementation.
Kim's channel appears to have reaped major profits from content about Baek. While general-topic videos on health or personal finance average around 60,000 views, videos about Baek average in the high 800,000s. Estimates suggest he earned at least 24 million won from Super Chat donations alone, and when adding membership fees and ad revenue, his total likely topped 100 million won.
The Born Korea emphasized, "Through sensational editing and distorted claims that misled public opinion, they inflicted massive damage on the company and our franchisees. We can no longer leave this unchecked. We will hold them accountable to the end to prevent a repeat."