Producer Kim Hak-min of the Netflix original variety show “Culinary Class Wars” Season 2 (“Culinary Class Wars 2”) said regarding the controversy surrounding Paik Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea, “We take viewer feedback seriously and carefully.”
The press conference for “Culinary Class Wars 2,” held in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 17th, was attended by producers Kim Hak-min and Kim Eun-ji, along with Chef Son Jong-won, a Michelin 1-star Korean and Western cuisine chef from the white spoon team; Venerable Sunjae, South Korea’s first temple food master; 57-year veteran Chinese cuisine master Hou Deok-juk; and Japanese cuisine star chef Jung Ho-young. From the black spoon team, French Papa, Little Tiger, Witch with a Wok, and Yoon Jumo, who brews alcohol, attended. Judges Paik and Chef Anh Sung-jae did not attend.
Producer Kim Hak-min said regarding the controversy surrounding Paik, “We will listen to any feedback and prepare for the next steps with viewer opinions in mind.” When asked if the judges would change if “Culinary Class Wars Season 3” proceeds, he said, “Season 2 was released the day before. It’s too early to discuss how Season 3 will proceed.”
Paik served as a judge in both “Culinary Class Wars 1” last year and “Culinary Class Wars 2.” However, early this year, various controversies surrounding Paik and The Born Korea erupted one after another, including suspicions of price manipulation of the BBQ Ham gift set, incorrect origin labeling, indoor high-pressure gas cooking, and violations of the Food Sanitation Act. In response, Paik announced he would halt all broadcast activities.
However, since filming for “Culinary Class Wars 2” had already begun, Paik completed filming without withdrawing midway. As Paik faced various rumors, viewers continued to cast unfavorable eyes on his qualification as a judge. Regarding this, the production team stated in September, “We will present the work and leave the judgment to the viewers.”
◇“Season 2 goes all the way with cooking”… Hidden white spoons also appear
As Season 1 was a major hit, there were also issues surrounding the program’s format. At the time, in the restaurant operation team mission, there was a rule where one chef from each team would be suddenly released, and the released chefs would form a team to operate a restaurant. The released team, which had little preparation time, failed the mission entirely, leading to criticism over ‘fairness.’ Master Ahn Yoo-sung, who was released from his team, later expressed in an interview that he felt ‘hurt.’
Regarding the differences from Season 1, Producer Kim Eun-ji said, “Many viewers wanted the chefs to compete head-on through cooking alone. This time, the concept is to go all the way with cooking. More dishes are expected to be born compared to Season 1.”
Producer Kim Hak-min stated, “I thought change for the sake of change could be poisonous to the program. We focused on creating a complete program by supplementing the beloved elements from Season 1 and replacing the parts that were lacking.”
Among the already released episodes, a new system was introduced where the number of black spoon chefs advancing to Round 2 fluctuates in real-time. Two ‘hidden white spoons’ who are making a comeback joined the 80 black spoon chefs in the first-round competition. In this process, the number of black spoon chefs who could advance to Round 2 was limited to 18, excluding the hidden white spoons. If a hidden white spoon secures a spot in Round 2, the survival quota for black spoon chefs increases proportionally by one.
◇The most difficult casting was Son Jong-won… Jung Ho-young: “Regretted declining Season 1 a lot”
The most difficult cast to secure was Chef Son Jong-won, according to the production team. Producer Kim Eun-ji said, “He really made us anxious. He completely rejected our initial offer. A few weeks later, during a meeting, we decided to make one more proposal, and he accepted.” Producer Kim Hak-min added, “Chef Son Jong-won seems to have joined to support the food industry.”
Chef Son Jong-won explained his decision to appear, saying, “I decided to join because I believe overcoming challenges leads to growth.” He added, “As a chef for whom running a restaurant is crucial, the filming schedule did not overlap with restaurant operations. I was moved that the production team trusted me.”
Chef Jung Ho-young said, “I deeply regretted declining the offer for Season 1. During the Season 2 recruitment, I couldn’t get in touch, so I even considered finding the writer’s number, but the production team contacted me just in time.” He added, “My strategy was to show my basic skills without greed. However, on-site, I became greedy and impatient, making it hard to demonstrate my full ability.”
Chef Hou Deok-juk shared, “Although 57 years may seem long, it’s not in cooking. There’s no end to culinary skills. I sometimes feel like I’m just starting to understand cooking.” He added, “My happiness lies in teaching as many people as possible on-site and learning from the young generation.”
Venerable Sunjae said, “I approached every competition thinking of the opponent as a fellow practitioner, respecting their skills and lives.” He added, “I hope viewers see how the “Culinary Class Wars” chefs think about food and how much effort they put in.”
The four black spoon chefs also shared their thoughts on filming. Yoon Jumo, who brews alcohol and captivated judge Chef Anh Sung-jae with homemade traditional liquor and carefully boiled pork, recalled, “I was completely taken aback by the acceptance. I never expected Chef Anh Sung-jae to pass me.”
Witch with a Wok discussed her winning strategy: “I relied on the expertise and know-how accumulated over 25 years in the hotel industry. I aimed to have fun in the playground using my daily approach.” She added, “My strong will to showcase K-Chinese cuisine through “Culinary Class Wars 2” and break the glass ceiling in the food industry as a woman is my ultimate strategy.”
French Papa said, “On-site, the preparation was so busy that I couldn’t see the white spoon chefs above. Watching yesterday’s episode, I received great comfort from the many supporters and worriers. All 100 chefs have their own stories; focusing on those stories might comfort the chefs.”
When asked about his future appearance on the show, Little Tiger said, “I will show cooking that not only focuses on perfection but also reflects sincere effort.”
“Culinary Class Wars 2” is a cooking survival variety show where underground master black spoon chefs, aiming to overturn class through taste alone, face off against white spoon chefs, South Korea’s top-tier star chefs defending their status.
Season 1, a 12-episode series released from September to October of last year, caused a syndromic popularity in Korea. It became the first Korean variety show on Netflix to rank number one in the non-English TV category globally for three consecutive weeks and topped the September 2024 Gallup Korea survey on ‘Programs Koreans Like.’
Season 2 also garnered high expectations ahead of its release. Episodes 1 to 3 of Season 2 were first released on Netflix on the 16th. The first three episodes covered the first round of selecting black spoon chefs to face 18 white spoon chefs, the appearance of two ‘hidden white spoons,’ and the early stages of Round 2 where white and black spoons compete.
This season’s white spoon team includes Chef Son Jong-won, Chef Jung Ho-young, Chef Hou Deok-juk, Venerable Sunjae, Michelin 2-star chef Lee Joon, 47-year veteran French cuisine master Park Hyo-nam, star chefs Sam Kim and Raymond Kim, MasterChef Korea Season 4 judge Song Hoon, and Han-sik Daechuk Season 3 winner Lim Seong-geun.
