'Paik Jong-won Returns'—What's the Twist in Culinary Class Wars Season 2? “An Unimaginable Contestant Appears”

[Financial News] For the first time in Korean variety show history, 'Culinary Class Wars: Culinary Class Wars Season 2' topped Netflix’s Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) category for three consecutive weeks. The show will return with its second season on the 16th of next month.
On the 24th, directors Kim Hak-min and Kim Eun-ji stated via Netflix, “The twist of Season 2 is the appearance of a contestant no one could have imagined.” They emphasized, “The key point is that chefs who were unimaginable as participants in Season 1 have joined as contestants in Season 2. Through them, a unique narrative for this season has been created. Chefs who would have been considered 'silver spoon' in the first season will now appear as 'underprivileged' contestants.” They added, “Some chefs who had no reason to compete decided to participate for the sake of their junior chefs and the culinary industry. We are also delighted to have discovered hidden gems among the underprivileged applicants.”
Previously, Season 2 drew attention with the announcement of appearances by Joon Lee, a pioneer of Korean fine dining and a Michelin two-star chef; Son Jongwon, who earned a Michelin star in both Korean and Western cuisine; Ven. Sunjae, Korea’s first master of temple cuisine; and Hu Deok-juk, a Chinese cuisine master with 57 years of experience.

'Culinary Class Wars Season 2' was loved in its first season for its innovative rules, such as a one-on-one black-and-white blind tasting where judges evaluated solely by taste with their eyes covered, and the 'endless cooking hell' where contestants cooked with only tofu until one remained. These signature elements will continue in the new season.
Directors Kim Hak-min and Kim Eun-ji explained, “Our principle was not to forget the reasons we were loved. We maintained the key elements while improving areas that needed enhancement, striving for a balance between freshness and entertainment.” They continued, “Reflecting viewer feedback, we reduced the team rounds from two to one and added more one-on-one missions. We also introduced new rules to intensify the class warfare. The most important guideline was, ‘There will be no more elimination-style rules.’ We worked hard to create more exciting and suspenseful missions.”
Above all, Season 2 will showcase chefs from various genres competing in 'taste battles' using Korean regional specialties. The use of ingredients from across the country is expected to be another highlight, presenting the 'taste of Korea' to viewers.
The two directors said, “Seeing the impact of the previous season, we thought about ways to have a positive influence on our country and local communities. Through 'Culinary Class Wars,' we hoped to introduce regional specialties not only to Korea but to viewers worldwide. We made efforts to distribute and select outstanding local specialties from each region equally,” raising expectations for how top chefs will reinterpret these Korean specialties.
Meanwhile, 'Culinary Class Wars Season 2' also marks the comeback of culinary researcher Paik Jong-won, who had suspended broadcasting activities in May due to various controversies. Paik Jong-won announced his return to television on the 17th through the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) variety show 'Chef of Antarctica.' He will next meet viewers through 'Culinary Class Wars Season 2.' On the same day, it was reported online that the video of Paik Jong-won's 'broadcast suspension' announcement had been deleted, drawing public attention to the direction of public opinion.
[email protected] Shin Jin-ah Reporter