Dispatch has revealed the past dating history of Culinary Class Wars chef Triple Star (whose name is Kang Seung Won).
Dispatch first disclosed how Kang Seung Won’s ex-wife “A” contacted them regarding their past relationship. Back in May 2022, Kang Seung Won and “A” got married at the Hyatt Hotel. However, their marriage only lasted three months, ending in a divorce. They did not register their marriage, so they only had a common-law marriage.
I’ve been hurt a lot throughout the process of dating and marriage, and I felt betrayed.
I thought I erased it all from my memory… but the past keeps coming back and it’s giving me a hard time.
— Ex-wife “A”
Kang Seung Won did admit to Dispatch that “A” was his ex-wife, but stated that the divorce was a one-sided request from “A.”
There was no specific reason [given by her] for the divorce. It was “A” who requested the divorce. I wanted to keep my family safe. Honestly, I don’t know what I did wrong.
— Kang Seung Won
There is also “B”, a woman who claimed to Dispatch that Kang Seung Won ghosted her. She sent the following DM to Kang Seung Won’s restaurant Trid’s account.
One day, it seemed like overnight, we just broke up without any explanation. I tried to get an apology from him but I couldn’t get in contact with him.
— “B”
Later on, “B” heard of Kang Seung Won’s marriage to “A” and found out Kang Seung Won was two-timing her. Kang Seung Won acknowledged his relationship with “B”.
We didn’t meet for a long time. We met each other for one or two months. It’s true we were not in contact after that.
— Kang Seung Won
After Kang Seung Won appeared in Culinary Class Wars, his popularity skyrocketed, but that became a nightmare for both “A” and “B”, who both carry memories with Kang Seung Won that they wish to forget. They both stated that they don’t care if he still cooks within his restaurant, but they took issue with the fact that he is now in front of millions of eyes in the media. They ended up reporting to Dispatch about his issues, including privacy violations, lobbying for jobs in Michelin Star restaurants, verbal abuse, and threats.
Meeting “A”
Kang Seung Won and “A” met for the first time in 2014 when “A” was in the United States for work and Kang Seung Won was a culinary student at Le Cordon Bleu. “A” helped Kang Seung Won in many ways at the time, telling Dispatch she helped get him a job at a Michelin Star restaurant by lobbying with a Chanel bag.
At the time, Kang Seung Won was a student with not much experience. I heard that for a chef, the restaurant that they work in is important. I was working at the time so I had many connections. So I looked around for a restaurant that Kang Seung Won could have some influence in.
— Ex-wife “A”
Dispatch asked if that influence could have come from “A” herself or her father, but it was actually another family member that helped out. “A” had an friend “X” whose friend “Y” was connected with Michelin Star restaurants Atelier Crenn and Benu. “A” asked “X” to help out.
Dispatch got in contact with “X” in an attempt to verify the claims made by “A”.
She begged me to help him find a job for her boyfriend. I used my personal connections to find him a way in.
It just so happened that my friend “Y” was close to the chef at Atelier Crenn. “Y” contacted the chef and asked him to help out. That’s how Kang Seung Won was able to apply to work there.
— “X”
When asked about receiving a Chanel bag as a gift for helping out, “X” confirmed she did receive two bags from “A” in exchange for helping Kang Seung Won.
It was a limited edition bag, dark red with gold chains. “A” bought two of them, thanking me for taking care of her boyfriend.
As for the lobbying affecting his employment? Kang Seung Won was an international student at the time. There are so many culinary schools in the United States. When it’s graduation season, resumes pour into restaurants. An inexperienced chef going to a Michelin star restaurant? That’s not common.
— “X”
Dispatch finally asked “X” about Kang Seung Won’s employment at Benu, a Michelin Star restaurant and where Culinary Class Wars judge Ahn Sung Jae also worked.
“Y” was close to Benu’s investor and also knew their chef, Corey Lee. Through that connection, Kang Seung Won was able to get an interview at Benu.
— “X”
Dispatch gave Kang Seung Won the opportunity to respond to the claims made by “X” and he first denied the idea that the Chanel bags are what got him the jobs.
Is a Michelin restaurant a place where Chanel bags can get you a job?
I know that “A” bought two Chanel bags for “X” and “Y”. But to say that I got the job because she gave them bags? She just gave those bags to her close friends.
I sent an e-mail to Atelier Crenn and ended up working there through an externship. The place I really wanted to work at was Benu. I went to the United States with the goal of working there.
— Kang Seung Won
Dispatch told Kang Seung Won that the gifts from “A” were a critical factor in his hiring, and Kang Seung Won responded.
I was meant to work as an unpaid intern for three months at Benu. I worked myself to death, but I was hired as a full-time employee after just one month. Was that because of a Chanel bag? It’s because my skills were recognized by the head chef.
I did not deny “A’s” gift of a Chanel bag because of my personality. “A” said she gifted them bags but I did not want to fight her over whether that was actually true or not.
— Kang Seung Won
Love and Reflection — Kang Seung Won and “A”
Kang Seung Won and “A” dated on and off between 2014 and 2022. They would date, break up, get back together, and eventually get married and divorce. Whenever there were issues, such as a breakup, Kang Seung Won would write “A” a letter. He sent over 40 letters to “A” and Dispatch was able to confirm the existence of 10 of them. Totaling over 10,000 words, his letters contained words of apology, reflection, and determination. Excerpts provided by Dispatch are below:
A female customer wearing revealing clothing was sitting at a table alone, so I secretly looked at her through the CCTV from a dark closet.
I am trash. I like women, but I am dirty and full of greed. I have done what I should not have to a person who has shown me so much love.
With the idea that we will spend our whole life together trusting each other, I will show you my actions that you can think that way.
— Kang Seung Won
Their relationship was not always smooth-sailing and they also had the difficulties of a long-distance relationship. “A” returned to Korea in 2016 and Kang Seung Won followed suit in 2017. “A” claimed that during their time dating, there were constantly issues with other women. However, she claimed the decisive event actually involved another man. Dispatch did not publish the full statement made by “A” regarding the man.
Dispatch gave Kang Seung Won the chance to respond to “A’s” claims once again, and he denied them, avoiding Dispatch’s reference to one of his letters (excerpt shared above).
Her claims are absolutely not true.
I don’t have the apology letter now… I don’t remember what I wrote back then.
— Kang Seung Won
Introducing woman “B”
“A” was also an investor in Kang Seung Won’s restaurant Trid, investing ₩150 million KRW (about $108,000 USD) to help start the restaurant. She also oversaw the marketing for the restaurant and managing the restaurant’s Instagram. But in April 2022, she received a DM from a woman, “B”.
Kang Seung Won said they only met up for a short time so he could forget about me. Then he started to blame her.
— Ex-wife “A”
It took Dispatch a lot of effort to get in contact with “B”. According to her, they dated for four months (Kang Seung Won said they dated for 1-2 months). She requested that their interview not be published, but instead she shared a statement.
I’ve heard rumors about his issues with women but I didn’t know I would be one of them. There wasn’t even a fight between us. We were dating like a regular couple and overnight, we broke up with no explanation or reason and I was ghosted.
It turns out later that he was two-timing me with another woman at that time. I tried to get an apology from him, but I couldn’t get in contact. Soon after, I heard that he was getting married and opening up his restaurant. I just felt so hurt and betrayed.
I kept the pain I felt in my heart and I was trying to forget about it and live my life. But then I saw Culinary Class Wars and someone who I didn’t want to see again appeared. When people around me watch the show and talk about him in good terms, I just think about the image making of the show…
I hope that someday, the true nature of his two faces will be revealed. How many woman have you tricked and played while pretending to be nice? I hope you take this opportunity to realize how wrong you lived your life. I really want to stop seeing your pretentious face in the media.
— “B”
When approached about “B” by Dispatch, Kang Seung Won claimed that they broke up because they had differing viewpoints. However, after Dispatch started to prepare for this article, Kang Seung Won contacted “B”, saying that there was an important issue for them to discuss and that “B” could also become hurt by the article.
Finally, Dispatch asked Kang Seung Won about a message he sent “A” after finding out “A” had a new boyfriend, and he threatened that he wanted to stab him to death.
Dispatch: In August 2023, “A” had a new boyfriend. You threatened him by saying you wanted to stab him to death.
Kang Seung Won: Did you only look at part of the message?
Dispatch: We saw your conversation with “A” on KakaoTalk.
Kang Seung Won: Isn’t it edited?
Dispatch: It was not edited. It was a screenshot of the part that included the threat.
Kang Seung Won: I don’t know what message you saw. It’s hard to respond to this. But if I was angry, there must have been a reason. I am usually not like this, “A” must have been surprised.
Kang Seung Won did not answer any further questions from Dispatch. His lawyer stated that there must have been circumstances in the messages that were not shown from before the threat. Finally, his lawyer commented on “A” as a person.
I’ve heard roughly what kind of person she is. I think Kang Seung Won has done a lot for her. I’ve heard she lived her life as the sheep in the relationship, following his lead.
— Kang Seung Won’s Lawyer
