Lee Jang-woo has personally addressed the controversy surrounding an alleged ₩40 million unpaid bill—offering a detailed explanation of what actually happened behind the scenes.
On April 2, through his YouTube channel, he firmly denied claims that he had failed to pay a supplier. “I’m not someone who would run a business while not paying people,” he said, pushing back against the narrative that had spread online.
The issue stemmed from a sundae-guk restaurant he was involved in. Reports claimed that payments for meat supplies had not been completed—but according to Lee, the situation was more complicated.
He explained that transactions were made through a distributor. While payments were sent as agreed, the distributor’s financial issues prevented the funds from reaching the original supplier. As a result, the responsibility appeared to fall on him.
To resolve the misunderstanding, Lee said he reached out directly and ensured the outstanding amount was settled. “I felt a moral responsibility,” he shared, emphasizing that the issue has now been fully addressed.
He also pushed back on claims that he was only a “face” of the business. “I started it because I genuinely love sundae-guk,” he said, adding that he was involved in everything from menu development to operations.
Looking back, he acknowledged the weight of the situation. “It made me reflect a lot,” he said, adding that he intends to approach both work and business with greater responsibility moving forward.