Baek Jong-won on Controversy Over Disrespecting Thai Food: "I Respect Dining Etiquette"

Mukata Korean-style Cooking "Ignoring Thai Food"
"I Love Thai Food... Hope There Is No Misunderstanding"

Cooking researcher Baek Jong-won clarified the criticisms from locals accusing him of disrespecting Thai food and culture.

On the 15th, Baek Jong-won stated in the comments of his YouTube channel, "As a fan who loves and appreciates Thai cuisine, I respect the way Thai people enjoy Mukata."

Culinary researcher Baek Jong-won responded to local criticisms that he disrespected Thai food and culture.
[Photo by YouTube capture]

He continued, "I reviewed it with the hope that more tourists would visit Thailand and enjoy Mukata together, with no other intentions," and explained, "I hope there are no misunderstandings about the parts I tried to express humorously in the video."

On the 12th, Baek Jong-won uploaded a video titled "The Person Who Grills Mukata Best in Bangkok" on YouTube. In the video, Baek visited a Mukata restaurant in Thailand, cooked the food himself, and tasted it.

While on the way to the restaurant, Baek said, "There is a theory that Korean soldiers who participated in the Vietnam War brought the bulgogi grill, which is how it originated."

His companion also said, "There is a story that Thai people saw the bulgogi grill Koreans use and decided to make the same one," adding, "It seems to have originated from Korea. Thai elders call it Mu Yang Kaoli, which means Korean-style grilled pork."

After arriving at the restaurant and taking a seat, Baek Jong-won looked at the grill and said, "It seems like it was brought from Korea," and added, "This is definitely a Korean bulgogi grill."

He then shared tips on cooking without burning the grill, saying, "Among all the customers who have come so far, I will grill the best," and "I have a strong determination not to burn the grill until the end. I want to show that Koreans are the people of bulgogi."

Subtitles and footage showed people around being surprised and staring at Baek Jong-won's cooking skills.

Some Thai netizens commented on the video, saying, "Mukata is Thai food, not Korean," "They are staring not because he grills well, but because they are worried it won't cook properly," and "The way to cook Mukata is not to add water when grilling pork."

As more locals expressed discomfort, Baek Jong-won posted a clarification. He published the statement in Korean, English, and Thai.

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