Celebrity restaurateur Paik Jong-won explains the Tongyeong Fisherman's Market festival on his YouTube channel on Oct. 21. Captured from YouTube

Celebrity chef Paik Jong-won, CEO of Theborn Korea, apologized after a wave of complaints from visitors about his highly anticipated seafood festival, Tongyeong Fisherman's Market. Despite Paik's confidence in the event, poor weather and logistical issues led to widespread dissatisfaction.

Paik posted comments on his YouTube account, Monday, saying, "I sincerely apologize to everyone who attended the Tongyeong Fisherman's Market festival and experienced discomfort."

He acknowledged several issues, saying, "I deeply apologize for the discomfort caused on the first day of the event, including the lack of rain shelters amid severe weather, and the long waiting times for entry and food purchases."

Paik added that Theborn Korea and the southeastern coastal city of Tongyeong are preparing a heartfelt apology video to express their regret. "We'll take these lessons to improve future festivals so that more people can enjoy the event comfortably."

Held from Nov. 1 to Nov. 3 in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, the festival was co-organized by Theborn Korea and six local fishery cooperatives, aiming to promote the seafood industry and revitalize fishing regions.

Leading up to the festival, Paik had expressed confidence, promoting it as an "unbeatable, affordable event" and urging people to look forward to a unique seafood experience.

Visitors are seen with umbrellas as heavy rain fell at the Tongyeong Fisherman's Market festival in Tongyeong, Friday. Captured from YouTube

No rain shelters, lengthy waits

However, attendees voiced complaints through YouTube comments, citing inadequate preparation. On the festival's first day, heavy rain from Typhoon Kong-rey hit Tongyeong, resulting in drenched attendees as there were no tents to shelter them.

Crowds also endured long waits in the rain, with Tongyeong receiving 58 millimeters of rainfall on Nov. 1 alone.

Attendees left scathing reviews, saying, "It was terrible — I felt like I was in a war zone just to get food," "I trusted Paik Jong-won but was disappointed. I waited an hour to enter, then two more hours to order. It was nonstop waiting," and "I haven't eaten in the rain like this since my time in the military. I had to eat with rainwater."

Another visitor wrote, "I had to use an umbrella to eat at uncovered tables in the rain. I'm angry that they weren't prepared despite telling us to trust them."

Ahead of the festival, Tongyeong city officials had announced that strong winds could pose safety risks and, in agreement with Theborn Korea, decided not to set up tents. They had also advised attendees to prepare raincoats or umbrellas, as the venue's coastal location made it prone to strong winds.

Paik is well-known for his role as a host and judge on the Netflix cooking competition "Culinary Class Wars," where he shares his culinary expertise and insights with aspiring chefs.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.