Viral Culinary Class Wars chef Yu Bibim caught running illegal restaurant, shuts up shop

By KTimes

Yu posted a lengthy handwritten letter on social media on November 1, expressing regret and confessing to previous wrongdoings. “With a heavy heart, I confess my past mistakes,” he began.

Yu shared that over the years he had tried various businesses, including fruit vending, street food stalls and a hair salon, all of which ended unsuccessfully. Since 2003, he had operated a restaurant without proper authorisation, which eventually led to his arrest and a suspended prison sentence.

“Although I deeply reflected on my actions and closed the restaurant for a year, I later reopened it under my wife’s name to bypass regulations and continued operating until recently,” he said.

He said that despite reaching out to public institutions and regulatory bodies to request support for legitimate operations, his efforts were unsuccessful.