True or false taste?

The poster for documentary, "True Mat Show" ("The True-taste Show"). A court will decide today whether to allow the screening of the film that divulges suspicious ties between restaurant owners and TV producers. / Korea Times

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By Park Si-soo

A Seoul court will decide today whether to allow the screening of a controversial documentary film that accuses some TV producers of receiving payments from restaurant owners in exchange for their restaurants appearing on popular foodie shows.

MBC TV filed an injunction with the Seoul Southern District Court to stop the release of the movie scheduled for June 2.

The nation's second largest broadcaster claims the film, "True Mat Show" ("The True-taste Show") has "seriously tarnished the company's image" by spreading what it claims is an "untrue" story.

The 70-minute movie created a stir after being screened during the 12th Jeonju International Film Festival early this month and winning an award for the best reaction from the audience.

In the film, the director claimed that many "top restaurants" introduced on TV programs are not actually the best but those which bought the intended fame with money.

In order to make the documentary, director Kim Jae-hwan, a former MBC producer, opened a small restaurant of his own in Ilsan, Gyeonggi, and recorded his attempts to get featured on television shows.

Kim's restaurant was featured on "Live Show Today" on SBS TV earlier this year but only after paying 10 million won ($9,000) to SBS through a broker.

The restaurant was featured on another show "Find! Delicious TV" on MBC in exchange for paying 9 million won to the program's producer, the film reveals.

"We held an internal investigation following the first screening and found the film portrayed critical factual errors", MBC said in a statement. "We are worried that the movie will have a negative impact on shows introducing restaurants. That's the reason why we asked the court to rule whether or not the film's release is justifiable".

MBC didn't elaborate on what the factual errors were.

Amid escalating controversy, a chief producer for "Find! Delicious TV", said in an interview that Kim's restaurant was introduced by an agency of which a representing official accepted the money for himself.

SBS has not taken legal action against the film's director. "We are worried that any legal action could be used as a vehicle to promote the film", an SBS spokesman said.

Kim condemned MBC's move to ban the film's release.

"It's ironic that a TV station that upholds the freedom of expression is trying to restrict my freedom of expression", Kim said.

The director shut his restaurant soon after the documentary's release at the film festival, leaving a memo attached on its door: "The taste of my restaurant's food shown on TV has been spoiled. No! Broadcasting has been spoiled. Will you keep watching it? It's up to you".