Chronology of Statements from Former Chefs Triple Star Kang Seung Won Related to Betrayal, Scandal Behind the Culinary Star Image

Kang Seung Won and his ex-wife (hereafter referred to as A) met in the United States in 2014. A was working there, while Kang Seung Won was a student at the culinary school Le Cordon Bleu. A mentioned that she even lobbied Michelin restaurants so that Kang Seung Won could work there with a Chanel bag. "At that time, Kang Seung Won was just a student with little experience. I heard that to become a chef, the restaurant you work at is important. I was already working then, so I had a lot of connections. I looked for restaurants so that Kang Seung Won could gain experience."

A successfully got Kang Seung Won to work at two Michelin-starred restaurants, Atelier Crenn and Benu. He got the connection from his friend X, who happened to have a contact connected to the Michelin restaurant. "He (A) begged me to find a job for his girlfriend. I used personal connections to get him a job. Coincidentally, my friend (referred to as Y) is close to the chef at Atelier Crenn. Y contacted the chef and asked for help. That's how Kang Seung Won was able to apply for a job there," explained X.

Furthermore, X did not deny that he received a luxury bag from A after helping Kang Seung Won. "The bag is a limited edition, dark red with a gold chain. A bought two, to thank me for helping his girlfriend. Did this lobbying process affect his job? Kang Seung Won was an international student at that time. There are many culinary schools in the United States. When graduation season comes, applications are definitely scattered across restaurants. Are there chefs without experience working in Michelin-starred restaurants? That's not common," continued X.

In addition to Atelier Crenn, Kang Seung Won also worked at the restaurant Benu, where Chef Ahn Sung Jae (a judge on Culinary Class Wars) had a career. "Y is close to the investor of Benu and also knows the chef, Corey Lee. Through that connection, Kang Seung Won was able to interview at Benu," X continued.

Dispatch then asked Kang Seung Won about X's statement. "Is the Michelin restaurant where a Chanel bag can help get a job? I know A bought two bags for X and Y. But to say I got a job because he bought them bags? He just gave those bags to his close friends. I emailed Atelier Crenn and eventually interned there. The place I really wanted to work was Benu. I went to the United States with the aim of working there," said Kang Seung Won.

When Dispatch explained that the bag was an important factor in why he could work at a Michelin restaurant, Kang Seung Won gave his answer. "I originally worked as an unpaid intern for three months at Benu. I worked hard, but I became a permanent employee in just one month. Was it because of the Chanel bag? It was because my skills were recognized by the head chef. I don't dispute the gift of the Chanel bag from A. A said he gave them the bags, but I don't want to argue about it, whether it's true or not."

Kang Seung Won and A had an on-and-off relationship from 2014 to 2022. Whenever there were problems in their relationship, Kang Seung Won would write letters to A. The letters sent by Kang Seung Won to A totaled 40, with a total of 10,000 words. The letters contained apologies, self-reflection, and a determination to change. A and Kang Seung Won also went through a long-distance relationship. A returned to Korea first in 2016, and then Kang Seung Won followed a year later. 

This is one of Kang Seung Won's letters exposed by Dispatch. "There was a female customer wearing revealing clothes sitting alone, I quietly watched her through the CCTV from a dark room. I am trash. I like women, but I am dirty and greedy. I have done what I should not have done to someone who has shown me so much love. With the desire for us to spend all our time together with mutual trust, I will show actions that make her think so."

A admitted their relationship had many problems because of another woman. But for A, there was one moment that became a turning point in their relationship, involving a man. Dispatch did not explain in detail A's statement regarding this other man. When Dispatch requested a statement about this from Kang Seung Won, he immediately denied it. "A's statement is all untrue. I no longer have the letter now, so I don't remember what I wrote before," said Kang Seung Won.

After a tumultuous relationship, A and Kang Seung Won got married in May 2022 at the Hyatt Hotel. However, their marriage only lasted three months. By the way, they did not officially register their marriage. "I was hurt a lot during our dating and marriage, I feel betrayed. I thought I had erased everything from my memory, but the past keeps coming back and causing me trouble," said A.

Kang Seung Won also shared his thoughts on their marriage that ended in divorce. "No specific reason was given by A regarding the divorce. A was the one who requested the divorce. I wanted to keep my family together. Honestly, I don’t know what my fault was," said Kang Seung Won.

Meanwhile, A turned out to be an investor in Trid, the restaurant owned by Kang Seung Won, which became popular right after Culinary Class Wars. A provided an investment of 150 million won or around 1.7 billion IDR so that Kang Seung Won could start his restaurant business. Not only that, A also handled marketing affairs, one of which was creating an Instagram account for the Trid restaurant. 

Until one day, A received a DM on Instagram from Trid restaurant from a woman we will refer to as B. From here, A learned that Kang Seung Won had a relationship with B. "Kang Seung Won said they only met briefly to forget me (when they briefly broke up). Then he blamed that woman," said A.

Dispatch then contacted B, who claimed to have dated Kang Seung Won for four months. When asked for details about B, Kang Seung Won said they only dated for 1 to 2 months. Kang Seung Won also said they broke up due to differing principles. B refused to have her interview with Dispatch published but still provided her statement.

Here is B's statement. "I heard rumors about him with many women, but I didn't know I would be one of them. There was never a fight between us. We dated like other couples and then suddenly broke up without explanation, and I was ghosted. Then I finally found out that I was being two-timed with another woman at that time. I tried to get an apology from him, but I couldn't reach him. Then I heard he got married and opened a restaurant. I felt heartbroken and betrayed. I kept my pain inside and tried to forget about this and live my life. But I watched Culinary Class Wars, and someone I didn't want to see appeared. When the people around me were watching the show and talking about his goodness, I just thought it was a fabricated image. I hope one day, your true face will be revealed. How many women have you deceived and played with while pretending to be a good person? I hope you take this opportunity to realize how wrong you are in living your life. I really want to stop seeing your fake face in the media."

While Dispatch was preparing to release this article, it turned out that Kang Seung Won contacted B. He told B that it was a serious matter that they needed to discuss. Kang Seung Won also said that the article to be released could hurt B's feelings.

Dispatch then asked about the message that Kang Seung Won sent to A after learning that his ex-wife had a boyfriend, August 2023. Kang Seung Won was said to want to stab A's boyfriend to death. "Are you only seeing part of the content of the message? Isn't that an edit?" said Kang Seung Won. Dispatch confirmed that the threatening message on KakaoTalk sent by Kang Seung Won was not an edit. "I don't know what message you saw. It's hard to respond. But if it's about anger, there must be a reason. I usually don't act like this. A must be shocked," said Kang Seung Won in response to Dispatch.

After that, Kang Seung Won refused to make any further statements to Dispatch. Kang Seung Won's lawyer suspects there was a reason for the previous message, before the threat part, which was not shown. "I’ve heard what that woman (A) is like.. I think Kang Seung Won has done a lot for her. I heard she lived like a sheep in that relationship, just following him," said Kang Seung Won's lawyer.

What do KLovers think? To know more news about Korean entertainment, keep following KapanLagi.com, if not now, then when?