'Baek Spirit' Baek Jong-won: "I Want to Promote Traditional Liquor Like a Gold Mine to the World" (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Food entrepreneur Baek Jong-won is appearing in a drunken talk on the online streaming service (OTT) Netflix with the production team of 'Street Food Fighter.' Through a variety show combining alcohol and food, he expressed his determination to "introduce the golden vein of traditional liquor to the world."

On the 27th, at the online production briefing for the Netflix series 'Baek Spirit,' Baek Jong-won confidently stated, "There are many great Korean liquors as good as Korean cuisine," and added, "I hope this will be an opportunity to introduce them to the world."

'Baek Spirit' is a series where Baek Jong-won meets various representatives from different fields in Korea, with each episode themed around a different Korean liquor, sharing everything unknown about the liquor and life stories. Baek Jong-won and the production team of tvN's 'Street Food Fighter' have moved to Netflix.

Baek Jong-won, known for his unique affinity and friendly storytelling in shows like 'Home-cooked Baek Teacher,' 'Baek Father,' and 'Alley Restaurant,' will cheerfully and sincerely share stories about indispensable alcohol, food, people, and life?from soju to traditional liquor, makgeolli, and beer. On this day, he said, "To me, alcohol is food," and conveyed a special meaning by saying, "Korea has a home-brewing culture. People brewed alcohol at home. They brewed liquor to enjoy with food."

'Baek Spirit' features various traditional liquors such as soju and makgeolli. Director Park Hee-yeon said, "We wanted to capture the liquor closest to us, the ones we often enjoy, and the ones that evoke the most emotions. It was fascinating that our lives are reflected in our liquor," and explained, "Through a global streaming platform, we wanted to let overseas audiences know that Korea has delicious liquors."

Baek Jong-won continued, "I wanted to introduce traditional liquors forgotten due to painful history," and said, "We had delicious liquors, and I wanted to convey why our ancestors made them."

Baek Jong-won, who personally selected the foods to accompany the drinks, said, "I recommend tasting little by little and enjoying them with good food," and added, "Some liquors taste best with greens, others with meat." He also humorously warned, "Don't watch this on an empty stomach."

The production team, praised through 'Street Food Fighter,' teamed up with Baek Jong-won once again. Director Park Hee-yeon said, "Baek Jong-won shared stories interestingly, filled with his own experiences and memories," and added, "He mentioned that after filming, there was a moment when he felt comforted, and that moment is fully captured in the content. Isn't 'Baek Spirit' the first content that draws out someone's story while receiving such emotions?" highlighting its uniqueness.

Director Park said, "Baek Jong-won has the talent to listen well and draw out the stories inside, but it hasn't been seen much on broadcasts," and added, "We included various life stories."

Singer Park Jaebeom and Loco, actors Han Ji-min, Lee Joon-gi, producer Na Young-seok, volleyball player Kim Yeon-koung, and actress Kim Hee-ae appear as guests, raising glasses with Baek Jong-won.

As the host through 'Baek Spirit,' Baek Jong-won said, "I didn't think of it as a talk show from the start, but as we talked, I took on the role of the host," and added, "I shared stories about alcohol and food with the guests."

Baek Jong-won recommended Park Jaebeom as the first guest. He said, "He was the most comfortable person to talk to, so I recommended him to the production team," and added, "During filming, the cameras were completely invisible. We could talk naturally. If it's a program like this, I could do many more."

'Baek Spirit' will be released on October 1.

Photo = Netflix

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