[Sportschosun Reporter Kim Jun-seok] Chef Lim Sung-geun, who drew controversy after it became known that he had six prior convictions, explained why the opening of his Paju restaurant has been delayed.
On the 18th, Lim Sung-geun posted an update on the board of his YouTube channel, saying, "I will share the latest news about the Simhaksan pork jjageuli shop in Paju that many of you have been asking about," and gave an update on the current preparations.
He said, "We have reached the third week of June, as promised. The kitchenware and tables are all set up," adding, "Because we are building a new facility from the ground up, tasks such as installation, inspections, and city office checks keep coming up, which is delaying the opening schedule."
He then apologized, saying, "I am sorry to those who must have been waiting," and added, "We are putting our full effort into opening the shop more safely and without problems."
He also said, "Once the exact opening date is confirmed, we will hold a subscriber event and let you try the pork jjageuli in advance," signaling that preparations for the opening are moving ahead quickly.
Earlier, Lim Sung-geun said in February that he was preparing to open a jjageuli specialty restaurant near Simhaksan in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, and revealed his full-scale plan to run a restaurant.
However, he was engulfed in controversy earlier this year after admitting to a past drunk-driving record. In January, he confessed on his YouTube channel that he had been caught drunk driving three times. He later came under criticism after it was revealed that he had a total of six convictions, including four drunk-driving offenses, one case of riding a motorcycle without a license, and one mutual assault incident during a parking dispute.
At the time, Lim Sung-geun posted a handwritten apology and announced that he would stop his broadcast activities. He did, however, go ahead with a scheduled home shopping appearance, and he is now sharing updates through his personal channel.
Meanwhile, Lim Sung-geun is a nationally certified master chef with more than 40 years of experience in Korean cuisine. He won Korean Food War Season 3 and became widely known after appearing as a white spoon chef on Netflix's variety show Culinary Class Wars Season 2.
narusi@sportschosun.com
