Baek Jong-won, who says "I won't do politics using my son's name," gains favor and receives another love call

With the April general elections approaching, both ruling and opposition parties are competing to recruit Baek Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea. On the 26th, the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea reportedly reached out to Baek or his associates through their respective communication channels to inquire about his intention to enter politics. Baek is said to have responded that it is difficult to accept political recruitment offers due to business reasons. However, political circles continue to show interest because Baek considers Yesan, Chungnam, his hometown, and he enjoys high public favorability through his active broadcasting activities and the "Reviving Neighborhood Markets" project.

When the general or presidential elections approach, Representative Baek, who enjoys high public favor, is often mentioned as a candidate, but it is known that Representative Baek has no significant intention to enter politics.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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This is not the first time the political world has shown a love call to Baek. In 2020, Kim Jong-in, then emergency committee chairman of the United Future Party, mentioned Baek as a potential next presidential candidate, causing a stir among both ruling and opposition parties. However, it is known that Kim mentioned Baek not to actually nominate him as a candidate but to suggest that a figure with popular appeal could emerge as a presidential contender. Baek himself said in an interview with Yonhap News, "It was such a surprising story that I just laughed it off, but since the report has been widely circulated, I want to clarify in case of any misunderstandings," adding, "(The presidency) is something I have never dreamed of, and I am currently most interested and happy with my work."

Whenever general or presidential elections approach, Baek, who enjoys high public favorability, is often mentioned as a candidate, but he is known to have little intention of entering politics. This stance was also revealed in a past interview with Baek. Before the 20th general election in 2016, Baek said on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show," "I have received many proposals from people around me," but added, "I have no interest in politics, even putting my son on the line." He continued, "If my children changed their names, please think, 'Maybe they are going into politics.' But that will never happen. They just need to work hard at what they are assigned."

Meanwhile, The Born Korea, the franchise company operated by CEO Baek Jong-won, is planning to go public this year. The Born Korea operates about 20 franchise brands including Hanshin Pocha, Saemaeul Sikdang, and Paik’s Coffee, as well as The Born Hotel in Jeju. Although the specific schedule has not been set, once the audit report is released in April, the company is expected to proceed with the listing process based on last year's performance. Some in political circles commented, "They have been expanding their business a lot recently, and if they enter politics, their stock price would immediately take a hit, so would they really want to do that?" and added, "Since this person has received many political love calls in the past, this will likely be just a happening again."

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