Baek Jong-won Clarifies Price Controversy Over 'Paik Ham'
Creatrip Team
a year ago
Baek Jong-won, CEO of Theborn Korea and a popular chef, addressed the controversy surrounding the price of 'Paik Ham', a canned ham sold during the Korean New Year season. The product was compared to CJ CheilJedang's SPAM, with accusations of deceptive marketing due to Paik Ham's higher list price offset by a 45% discount. Baek clarified via his YouTube channel that despite the discount, the company barely makes a profit due to operational costs. He explained that Paik Ham, made with locally sourced pork, aimed to support local farms, and emphasized that large-scale production could lower prices in the future. The lower meat content compared to SPAM was attributed to additional seasoning for enhanced flavor in soups like budae jjigae (Korean army stew). He reassured consumers that the price reflects reasonable costs given the product's smaller production scale.
