What’s Going On with Chef Ahn Seong-jae?
Hey everyone! So, there’s some unexpected drama brewing around one of Korea’s popular Netflix shows. You might know the cooking competition ‘Heukbaek Yorisa: Culinary Class Wars’. Well, one of its main judges, Chef Ahn Seong-jae, has suddenly become the target of some pretty wild online accusations.
Some people on online communities started claiming he’s a ‘Hwagyo,’ which is a term for people of Chinese descent who live in Korea. The so-called “evidence”? They think his Korean sounds a bit “unnatural” and that his accent sounds like it has Chinese tones. It’s a classic case of a small observation spiraling into a huge, baseless rumor mill online.
The Rumors Get Even Wilder
The speculation didn’t just stop at his ethnicity. It got way more intense. People started connecting dots that weren’t there, suggesting he gives favorable scores to contestants who cook Chinese food because of his supposed background. Some even went as far as to label him a member of the Chinese Communist Party. The rumors were fueled by things like the English spelling of his surname and the fact his parents once ran a Chinese restaurant in the U.S.
For context, Chef Ahn is actually a Korean-American who moved to the U.S. as a kid, grew up in California, and even served in the U.S. military in the Iraq War. So, these claims are completely out of left field and have been met with disbelief by many.
Production Company Claps Back
Thankfully, the show’s producers aren’t just sitting back and letting this happen. The production company, ‘Studio Slam,’ released an official statement on their YouTube channel. They announced that they are aware of the personal attacks, malicious comments, and harassing messages being sent to Chef Ahn.
They stated that these actions seriously damage the reputation of a chef who has dedicated his life to his craft and that they will be taking “strong legal action” with no leniency against those creating and spreading these rumors. They’ve been collecting evidence and are ready to protect their cast from this kind of online harassment.
Why is this a Big Deal in Korea?
Sometimes, things like this can blow up pretty quickly here. Unfortunately, anti-Chinese sentiment has been on the rise in some online communities, and accusing a celebrity of being ‘Hwagyo’ has become a strange way to attack them. It’s a sad trend that has affected other idols and YouTubers too. It’s great to see the production team taking a firm stand against what is essentially cyberbullying. Hopefully, this puts a stop to the nonsense so everyone can go back to just enjoying the awesome cooking on the show!
