'Baek Father' Baek Jong-won: "I Want to Help Agricultural Producers and Food Sellers"

Baek Jong-won, Yang Se-hyung. Photo by MBC from the broadcast screen capture of 'Baekfather: Don't Stop Cooking!'

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Park Hee-eun] Chef Baek Jong-won's live cooking show has started for the first time. In the first live broadcast, he revealed the reason for hosting a cooking education program.

On the afternoon of the 20th, MBC's interactive cooking show "Baek Father: Don't Stop Cooking!" was aired.

This program is designed for cooking beginners, also known as 'yorini' (a combination of 'yo' from cooking and 'rini' from children, meaning people who don't know anything about cooking), where Baek Jong-won cooks while communicating online in real time.

During the broadcast, comedian Yang Se-hyung said, "Today, forty-eight teams attended. Participants joined from a total of 19 regions including Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu, Busan, Yangsan, Changwon, and Jeju," adding, "Participants ranged from an 18-year-old high school student from Dongducheon to elderly people in their eighties," introducing the yorini who participated in the real-time communication.

In response, Baek Jong-won showed surprise, saying, "I didn't know there were this many yorini in our country."

He explained the reason for conducting the cooking education program: "As a 'cooking powerhouse,' I wanted to make sure that even if someone is left alone, they can cook their own meals."

He also said, "Pre-recorded shows stop you if you try to follow along. The reason for doing this program is because everyone has been having a hard time due to COVID-19," explaining, "People who produce agricultural products or sell food have been struggling as everyone stays home and travels to local areas."

He continued, "If people cook along and find enjoyment, maybe they will consume one more thing. I hope this will create a boom and help those involved in food ingredients," expressing his conviction.

During the live broadcast, comedian Yang Se-hyung jokingly told Baek Jong-won, "(During the live broadcast) no swearing," and added, "If you lose your temper, it might damage your image. Are you okay with that?" showing off his wit.

Baek Jong-won replied, "I have a strong mentality," but also said, "If there's a chance of an accident, the camera will definitely pan around," which made everyone laugh.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.