MBC’s variety show 'Chef in Antarctica' has once again become the center of controversy. The production team and roughly 30 cast members traveled to South Korea’s Antarctic King Sejong Station without bringing any food, worsening the base’s existing food shortages.
The show’s concept was to cook delicious meals for the hard-working station personnel, but critics argue that it ended up consuming the workers’ limited supplies instead.
This latest issue adds to a long list of controversies involving Baek Jong Won, including claims of exaggerated discounts at his restaurants, underfilled meal kits, questions over ingredient origins, disputes over beer fruit content, sauce dilution in stir-fry dishes, allegations of favoritism toward production staff and cast, accusations of broadcast exploitation for private gain, high-cost café interiors, and budget-related disputes.
The winter population at King Sejong Station is 15–17 people, including researchers and support staff, while around 100 summer researchers stay from December to February. This means the 'Chef in Antarctica' team consumed food equivalent to twice the station’s winter population—during November, just before the critical December supply delivery.
The show’s producer, Hwang Soon Kyu, openly acknowledged the station’s food scarcity in an interview, stating, “We didn’t bring any ingredients from Korea, so the food storage we visited in November was nearly empty. With frozen and limited supplies, we worked to prepare meals for personnel from various countries, experiencing the food culture of different bases.”
He added, “One principle was to portray the Antarctic base as it really is. We had to cook only with the supplies available at the station. In December, when personnel rotate, food is replenished once a year. But in November, when we visited, the storage was nearly empty.”
The strain on the station’s resources was previously documented in June by SisaWeek during an interview with King Sejong Station chef Lee Hee Young. According to the report, “This year, the station faced an unusually difficult ‘lean period.’ Food deliveries, usually mid-December, were delayed to mid-January due to logistical issues. Filming by external TV programs further intensified shortages.”
Lee Hee Young added, “Before supplies arrived, it was extremely challenging to rely solely on existing stock for fresh vegetables and meat. Nutritionally, we had to think twice or three times when planning meals, which was exhausting.”
At Antarctic stations, personnel must conserve ingredients until the summer supply delivery in December to provide balanced meals. Yet during the polar night, fresh vegetables rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber are scarce. A study by the University of Melbourne found that Antarctic station personnel experienced nutrient deficiencies, particularly in bone-related nutrients and vitamin D.
In other words, MBC’s production of 'Chef in Antarctica' exacerbated an already difficult situation for personnel dealing with nutritional shortages. With over 30 additional people staying for an extended period, the extra consumption would have been substantial.
Online communities have harshly criticized the program, dubbing it not 'Chef in Antarctica,' but 'Thief in Antarctica.' The backlash continues to mount, with many netizens accusing the production team of prioritizing the show’s ambition over the well-being of the research station and ultimately causing more harm than help.
They commented:
"The production team is truly the worst."
"It’s not like there’s a supermarket or delivery there. In isolated Antarctica, food supplies are literally a matter of survival."
"Shouldn’t they at least replenish the ingredients afterward?"
"There’s no way this doesn’t become a controversy. They have no conscience, no thought. Even if the production style is like that, they should’ve fully restocked everything before leaving. They know exactly how difficult it is to procure ingredients there… seriously."
"Devils."
"What the…"
"What was the PD thinking? Don’t they normally do advance research before going?"
"Blame the PD… The PD who planned this is the problem. Why are people dragging the cast into this and attacking them? They did nothing wrong."
"So inconsiderate."
"Why would you go there just to drain their food supply? You should be bringing tons of ingredients to serve them properly."
"What are they doing…? Why are they consuming the station’s food? Are they out of their minds???"
"Why did they even do this?"
"Seriously, what was the point?"
"The issue isn’t that they don’t have a chef — it’s that they don’t have ingredients. They completely misunderstood the situation."
"Does the PD have no sense? Shouldn’t they obviously bring their own ingredients and cook for them? They didn’t go there for a survival challenge — they went to give the Antarctic crew good food…"
"Even if they didn’t bring ingredients to get dramatic footage, they should at least send supplies afterward. Have they no professional ethics?"
"How can they be this thoughtless? If they had brought ingredients from Korea and cooked for them, at least it would’ve been heartwarming. I can’t believe they didn’t even realize this was inconsiderate."
"If I were the person in charge, I’d have sent them back immediately. How do you show up without proper agreements?"
"This is the production team’s fault."
"Why would you drain food supplies in Antarctica?"
"What did those people go there for?"
"Inconsiderate."
"Of course, they should’ve brought their own ingredients, ugh."
"They were surprised there were no green onions there. If they had any sense, they would’ve at least brought frozen chopped green onions."
"If they used the station’s ingredients, shouldn’t they restock them? Or bring what they need for filming from the start?"
"The PD and writers are seriously clueless."
"The production team must be insane. What kind of concept is it to go all the way to Antarctica just to be a burden?"
"...."
"They must be crazy."
"They should’ve brought fresh ingredients to treat the crew, not used up the station’s supplies. No wonder they’re being criticized."
"What a trashy show."
"Send supplies even now!"
"What is the production team doing?"
"They should’ve brought fresh ingredients they can’t normally get there and cooked with those."
"The staff must’ve felt like they were being raided by starving bandits…"
"I thought they would at least bring some food…"
"What is the production team doing? They should’ve brought something — anything."
"Even though Baek Jong Won’s image is bad right now, the actual fault lies with the production team. They knew the situation during planning and pushed ahead anyway."
"This is truly the worst."
"They could’ve made a heartwarming episode like: 'We used the older ingredients they had and then restocked with fresh ones. Thank you for your hard work!' — how did no one consider this??"
"It would’ve been so much better if they had brought ingredients and cooked something delicious."
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
"Seriously inconsiderate. Even if the concept was 'cooking with limited ingredients,' they should’ve ethically replenished what they used."
"They should’ve brought plenty of ingredients to serve them…"
"The producer and writer are brainless."
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