Chef Lim Seong-geun: DUI Confession & Apology

Chef Lim Seong-geun, a Korean food chef who became popular on the Netflix entertainment show , revealed that he had had his license revoked three times in the past for drunk driving.

Chef Lim Seong-geun said on his YouTube channel on the 18th, “I made a mistake because I like drinking. Over the past 10 years, I have drunk and driven about 3 times. 10 years ago, I was caught while sleeping with my car running while drunk, and the most recent time was 5-6 years ago. At that time, I was subject to criminal punishment and my license was revoked, so I got my license again.” When the producer asked why he did not drink the soju served with the fish belly tray he made, he confessed his history by answering the question.

He said, “What I did was wrong, it was wrong. I don’t want to get away with it. I felt burdened because I received so much love. I wanted to shake off what was in my heart one by one. I hope you will generously forgive me.”

As controversy arose after posting the video, he posted an additional handwritten apology on the YouTube channel community on the same day. He wrote, “Drunk driving is my fault and a mistake that cannot be excused for any reason,” and “As I have recently received too much love, I felt that it is deceitful and disrespectful to the people who trust me to continue my activities while burying my past mistakes.”

He added, “I sincerely apologize for disappointing you with my careless actions,” and added, “I will not forget my past mistakes and will discipline myself to become a chef who can have a positive influence on society.”

He made his name known by winning tvN‘s in 2015. Recently, he gained popularity by being ranked in the top 7 in and appeared in . As he suddenly gained popularity, the burden of his past mistakes increased and he appears to have preemptively confessed to drunk driving.

However, there is criticism that the sincerity of the apology is in doubt as it is known that the number of drunk driving incidents has reached 3 times and that a whiskey advertisement was filmed 6 days before the YouTube video was posted.

Netizens reacted negatively to this on social media, saying, “This is the first time in my life that I have seen criminals being used as content,” “Drunk driving is like attempted murder. I am angry that they are speaking so confidently,” and “Is it right to receive alcohol advertisements even while drunk driving?”