'Culinary Class Wars' chef's drunk driving record resurfaces, apology video removed

Celebrity Chef Lim Seung-geun, who rose to fame after his appearance on Netflix’s “Culinary Class Wars” Season 2, is facing renewed scrutiny after court records revealed additional criminal convictions beyond those he had recently admitted.

Last week, the 58-year-old admitted to having driven under the influence three times over a decade as he offered a public apology through YouTube.

“I bow my head in deep apology to the fans and viewers who have supported and cared for me,” Lim said in a video. “I want to confess the serious mistakes from my past that have weighed heavily on my heart and would like to sincerely ask for forgiveness.”

He added that drunk driving is “inexcusable under any circumstances,” saying he had accepted legal punishment and spent recent years reflecting on his actions.

However, local daily Ilgan Sports reported Monday that Lim had only uploaded the apology video after media inquiries began, calling it a move to soften critical media reports. The outlet added that Lim told a reporter on Saturday that he would explain the matter in person on Tuesday, but posted the video Sunday.

The video has since been taken down, as further revelations surfaced.

Lim was caught driving about 3 kilometers from Bupyeong, Incheon, to Seo-gu in August 1999 with a blood alcohol level of 0.153 percent — well above the 0.1 percent threshold for license revocation, according to Dong-A Ilbo on Wednesday. At the time, Lim was driving a motorcycle registered under his wife’s name despite having no valid driver’s license. Records also show that he was detained for 37 days in connection with the offense.

The incident occurred while Lim was already serving a suspended sentence. In March 1998, he was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, and fined 300,000 won ($204) for violating the Road Traffic Act. His appeal was dismissed in April 2000.

Lim was also convicted of drunk driving in September of the same year and fined 5 million won.

The celebrity chef was also fined 2 million won for drunk driving in 2009 and 3 million won in 2017, respectively. In 2020, he was again caught driving under the influence in Guro-gu, western Seoul, and was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, along with 80 hours of community service and 40 hours of mandatory traffic safety education.

Amid intensifying public backlash, Lim said he planned to issue a second apology broadcast.