"Is this the time to casually post a video?" Ahn Sung-jae, 'YouTube My Way' immediately after second apology → Public anger intensifies [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Chef Ahn Sung-jae issued a second apology regarding the 'wine substitution controversy,' but public outrage shows no sign of subsiding.

On the 6th, a video titled "4 Late-Night Snack Menu Recommendations for a Hungry Night | Ahn Sung-jae Geodeongyo" was uploaded to the YouTube channel 'Chef Ahn Sung-jae.'

In the video, Ahn Sung-jae presented four cooking recipes: fresh kimchi fish cake noodles, Bunmoja tteokbokki, gambas & mala spinach stir-fry, and super simple beef brisket stir-fry. The video, which showed only Ahn Sung-jae cooking, was edited to minimize appearances of his face and ran for a total of six minutes.

The YouTube production team appeared to acknowledge the controversy surrounding Ahn Sung-jae that day, announcing, "The content scheduled for today has been replaced with a highlight of late-night snack menus. We ask for your broad understanding, subscribers who have been waiting to watch."

However, the atmosphere in the video comments is not positive. Netizens posted comments expressing disappointment in Ahn Sung-jae, such as "Is this the time to casually post something like this?", "Are you in your right mind?", "It's not going well," "You should have done what you had to do," and "I can't even watch the video."

Additionally, comments questioning Ahn Sung-jae's mistakes appeared, such as, "Why did you only post a long apology letter now, after your image had already deteriorated as much as it could? Did you do it for your pride? Did you think it was simple? Why did you do that? I'm really curious."

That day, Ahn Sung-jae posted an apology letter via the official account of his restaurant, Mosu Seoul (hereinafter 'Mosu'), regarding the 'wine substitution controversy.' He stated, "Once again, I sincerely apologize for the disappointment caused by the inadequate service that occurred at my establishment, Mosu, recently. In particular, I deeply apologize again to the customers who felt great disappointment due to this incident."

He continued, "I should have explained the situation accurately and apologized, but I failed to do so. All processes, from the occurrence of the mistake to the response, were inappropriate." He added, "The incident was only partially reported, and I only became aware of it two days later," expressing his deep sense of responsibility for management. He also stated, "Regarding the sommelier involved, we have required them to submit a statement of facts according to company regulations, and we have taken measures to exclude them from the sommelier position responsible for customers' wine."

Last month, netizen A claimed on an online community that they visited Mosu with friends recently and encountered a problem during the wine pairing process. According to A, the wine that should have been served with the ordered dishes was a 2000 vintage, but a 2005 product, which was approximately 100,000 won cheaper, was actually provided. When A requested verification of the facts, the sommelier admitted late and responded, "The 2000 vintage bottle was downstairs on the first floor. I will let you taste the 2000 vintage as well."

When the controversy erupted, Mosu's side apologized, stating, "We sincerely apologize for the confusion caused by the lack of accurate guidance during the wine pairing service process and for not providing sufficient explanation during the subsequent response process, which caused great disappointment."

However, on the 3rd, YouTuber Wine King, in a video titled "There are likely more victims," said, "In my opinion, the biggest victims of this Mosu wine fraud case are not the second-floor customers who raised the issue, but the first-floor customers who ordered the same wine by the bottle and were quietly drinking it. And the most terrifying thing is that the first-floor customers may still not realize they are victims. That is my opinion."

He added, "The 2000 vintage wine should have been served to the second-floor customer, but wasn't the 2005 wine served in the glass? That's my reasoning, and there is a very terrible fact hidden here." He explained, "Michelin restaurants have sommeliers place wine bottles far away from customers and collect them for management. If a customer's wine glass looks empty, they bring a new bottle and serve it. That's why I've been saying for 10 years, 'Why do I buy the wine bottle, yet it's hidden in a place I can't see? I wish they would leave the wine bottle on the table.' This serving method hides the biggest problem," pointing out that 'wine fraud' occurred at Mosu.

After a liquor expert made strong criticisms, public opinion criticizing Ahn Sung-jae surged again, leading Ahn Sung-jae to issue a second apology that day.

Ahn Sung-jae previously gained public recognition by appearing as a strict judge on Netflix's 'Black and White Chef: Cooking Class War.' However, his strictness was not upheld in his own business operations, and Ahn Sung-jae is now facing a boomerang effect from his own words.

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*This content was translated by AI.