hankyoreh

By Choi Sung-jin

The June 2 premier of director Kim Jae-hwan’s documentary, “True Maht Show,” true taste show, that examines the making of popular network programs introducing top restaurants, has been drawing concerns from some parties. On Wednesday, MBC filed an injunction with Seoul Nambu District Court to request a ban on screening the film. The network is among those identified in the film as introducing “top restaurants” that paid to be on the respective programs rather than being actual favorite restaurants.

“Following an independent investigation of this company and the outside production company that handles program production, it was determined that financial transactions for the purposes of introducing ‘top restaurants’ did not take place as reported in the film,” MBC said Friday.

“We filed the injunction because screening of the film as is could give rise to misunderstandings among the public regarding MBC and its program ‘Finding Delicious TV,’” the network added.

Director Kim Jae-hwan said he was not greatly concerned, adding, “MBC’s injunction will be a lot of help at the box office.”

In an interview with the Hankyoreh on Friday, Kim said, “In the case of MBC’s ‘Finding Delicious TV!’ it is true that fake ‘top restaurants’ and fake customers appear, where the entertainers featured on star restaurant segments receive financial payments in addition to their appearance fee from promotional agencies linked with the production company, and introduce places that are not their favorite restaurants as though they were.”

“When the court hearing begins, I will provide evidence, including recordings of promotional agency officials commissioned by the production company to handle liaison efforts between entertainers and restaurants,” Kim added. “When a restaurant that wishes to appear on a program as a top restaurant delivers a commission fee to the promotional agency, part of the money has been paid to the entertainer for introducing a restaurant where they are not a regular customer as though it were one of their favorite restaurants.”

Regarding Kim’s contentions, an MBC official said, “While we have no way of knowing the exact situation with promotional agencies and so forth, this company and its production companies have never taken money from a ‘top restaurant.’”

When pressed as to whether this meant that no entertainer on a star restaurant segment had introduced a restaurant where they were not a regular customer after receiving additional payment besides their appearance fee, the official said, “We cannot disclose the specifics before a court ruling has been made.”

“The True Maht Show” is a 70-minute documentary that drew attention when it picked up the Audience Award in the Korean Feature Film Competition at the 2011 Jeonju International Film Festival, which concluded on May 6. It will be opening on June 2 at ten theaters nationwide, including the CGV in Seoul’s Daehangno neighborhood and the Lotte Cinema outside Konkuk University.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]