Seoul chef Eo Yun-gwon is suing the Michelin Guide for listing his restaurant without his consent.

While many chefs aspire to earn a Michelin star, it’s not a goal for Eo Yun-gwon.

The South Korean chef is reportedly taking legal action against Michelin for including his restaurant, Ristorante Eo, in their 2019 Seoul guide, despite his request for exclusion.

He is pursuing a case under South Korea’s public insult law, which is akin to libel and slander laws in the United States.

What is the basis of his complaint?

On November 15, Eo announced on his Facebook page that he had filed a criminal complaint for public insult against Michelin Travel Partner at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office that same day.

“I have lodged a criminal complaint against the Michelin Guide for forcibly listing restaurants against their will and without clear criteria,” he stated.

“Including my restaurant, Eo, in this corrupt guide is defamatory to both my team and my supporters. They had no contact number, and I was only able to reach them by email. Despite my explicit refusal to be included, they went ahead and listed my restaurant this year anyway.”

Eo has expressed particular concern with Michelin's secretive process, criticizing how the guide judges restaurants without transparency.

In a separate Facebook post on November 13, Eo wrote, “There are thousands of restaurants in Seoul that are just as good, if not better, and far more honest than those listed in the Michelin guide. It's a sad joke that only 170 of them are being recognized as representing Seoul.”

Eo stated on his Facebook that he emailed Michelin requesting the removal of his restaurant from all categories in the guide, demanding clarity on their rating criteria.

In the email, he reportedly wrote: “Many restaurants and their staff are pouring their souls—money, time, and effort—into chasing the elusive Michelin star.”

Michelin published its first Seoul restaurant guide in 2016. Their review of Ristorante Eo specifically highlighted the chef, noting that “each dish clearly showcases his understanding of the purity and essence of Italian cuisine.”

Eo told Dinogo in a phone interview, “The Michelin guide is a brutal system. It's the harshest test in the world. It forces chefs to spend an entire year preparing for an evaluation they don’t even know when will happen.”

“It’s degrading to see my restaurant featured in such a flawed guide,” Eo added.

He further criticized the Michelin guide, saying, “It’s driven by money and lacks any real philosophy.”

Dinogo has contacted the Michelin Guide for a response to the allegations.

But will this legal action be successful?

While Eo’s lawsuit has made waves in the culinary community, South Korean criminal lawyer Shin Ha-na suggests that the charges are unlikely to succeed.

“For a case to be considered an insult, there needs to be a statement that damages one’s reputation,” Shin explains to Dinogo. “Typically, this requires the use of offensive language. Since the guide didn’t include any profanity, I doubt the charges will hold up.”

The international impact of this case remains to be seen.

Eo is not alone in his criticism of the notoriously secretive Michelin Guide.

In 2019, French chef Marc Veyrat also sued Michelin, but his case involved the loss of a star.

The Michelin Guide for France informed Veyrat that one of his stars was being revoked after a review of his restaurant, La Maison des Bois, in the French Alps.

Veyrat claimed the demotion stemmed from a misunderstanding about cheese—the Michelin inspector thought a soufflé was made with cheddar, but Veyrat insisted it was a mix of different cheeses, with saffron giving it a yellow tint similar to cheddar.

Veyrat said the star removal caused him severe distress, leading him into a deep depression. “I felt dishonored, and I saw my team in tears,” he told a French radio station.

Veyrat’s lawsuit against Michelin is set to be heard in November in Nanterre, France.

Regardless of the outcome of either lawsuit, it’s clear that Eo is not backing down.

On his Facebook page, he declared, “I will fight to protect the integrity of our industry from dishonest critics like Michelin, influencers, and the media. I will continue my crusade against Michelin.”

Ristorante Eo, 15 Dosandaero, 75-gil, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, +82 2-3445-1926