Netflix star Chef Im Seong-keun quits TV career after public drunk driving confessions: 'Entirely my fault'

Chef Im Seong-keun, the breakout sensation from Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2, is stepping away from television indefinitely following public backlash over a history of DUI offenses. In an interview with Seoul-based Ilyo, translated by Korea Times, Im admitted, “I have no excuses. It is entirely my fault,” acknowledging multiple past incidents.

The chef confirmed he will withdraw from all programs on major networks and streaming platforms, but he will honour existing contracts with a TV shopping network to avoid financially impacting small partner businesses.

The controversy reignited after Im revealed on YouTube that he had been caught driving under the influence three times. In interviews, he offered explanations for the 2017 and 2020 citations, attributing the incidents to disputes with designated drivers. In one case, a driver allegedly left him on the roadside; Im said he got behind the wheel, turned on the engine, and fell asleep—resulting in a DUI. A similar scenario unfolded in 2020, when a driver demanded a higher fare, prompting Im to move the car early the next morning, only to be caught.

Adding fuel to the fire, court records uncovered a fourth incident from 1999. At the time, Im was charged with riding his wife’s motorcycle while intoxicated and unlicensed for three kilometers in Incheon, with a blood alcohol level of 0.153 percent. Im explained he had no choice but to make deliveries himself when his lunchbox business staff didn’t show up.