appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Lucy Jeong

We all know that music artists make bank from concert tours and endorsement deals … but the savviest stars make millions from endeavours that have nothing to do with their careers in showbiz. Property investing is a popular choice, of course, while others decide to start their own companies.
So which K-pop idols are expanding their riches in the business world? Who has a fashion line, and who decided to open a restaurant? Read on to find out …
Why is Blackpink’s Lisa still being ‘mistreated’ by YG Entertainment?
JYJ member Jaejoong’s Kave Mall

Kim Jae-joong is a former member of TVXQ and the vocalist of JYJ, who has also found success in going solo. The 35-year-old star is one of the richest K-pop idols, boasting an estimated net worth of around US$100 million, and is known for his side hustles such as his cosmetic brand Kii and Cafe J Holic, too.

In 2017, Kim made headlines when he opened Kave Mall in Shibuya, Tokyo. Although the five-storey building appears to have since closed, when it was still running, it housed Kim’s various businesses such as Cafe de Kave and Lounge Kave, as well as a selection of Korean brands that he curated.
In a 2017 interview with Japanese magazine Josei Jishin, Kim shared that he had planned the business for two years and contributed to the mall’s whole design, from the interior to the tableware.
Its grand opening was a big success, and Kim expanded his business by opening Kave Cafe in Osaka in 2019. Many of his fans showed up when the star made an appearance at the opening event.

190824 JJ in KAVE ❤️

안녕하세요 김사장님^^#김재중 #ジェジュン #金在中 #J_JUN #jaejoong #재중 #kimjaejoong pic.twitter.com/DF5uG7BNcR
— YoonJaeLoveBar (@YoonJaeloveBAR) August 24, 2019

However, it seems that Kim’s business was one of many affected by the pandemic, as Kave Cafe Osaka closed its doors in June this year and there have been no updates on its official social media pages since 2019.
G-Dragon’s fashion brand Peaceminusone

G-Dragon did not only make a name for himself with his music, but with his sense of style as well, which he channelled into his fashion brand Peaceminusone in 2016. Whenever he’s spotted wearing a piece of clothing or an accessory, he causes it to sell out or get a price hike, so his influence is obvious.

Demand for his own brand went through the roof, with certain exclusive products going for eye-popping prices on the resale market. Peaceminusone and Nike collaborated to create Air Force 1 trainers in 2019, called Para-noise. Their retail price was around US$200 – but they were re-sold for around US$10,950, about 60 times more, according to JoongAng Daily in 2020.
G-dragon was also the first K-pop star to be listed in the Business of Fashion 500, in 2015, for being “one of Asia’s most popular and paparazzi-hounded celebrities”.
5 Korean stars with weird certifications, from origami to laughter therapy
Jessica Jung’s restaurant Clareau

Former Girls’ Generation member Jessica Jung is no stranger to running a successful business – she did it before with fashion brand Blanc & Eclare. Taking her entrepreneurial spirit beyond the fashion world, she opened a restaurant named Clareau in February. Located in Cheongdam-dong, an affluent district of Seoul, on the floor above Blanc & Eclare’s flagship store, the restaurant offers contemporary Western cuisine.


All the dishes are Jung-approved, as she said in a YouTube video in February – she even mentioned that she had to go on a diet after taking part in various menu tastings before the restaurant’s grand opening! She is also believed to have had a hand in the interior design, according to Koreaboo. The restaurant features an open kitchen and fancy decor.


Jessica Jung's restaurant Clareau (Cheongdam-dong, Seoul)

In addition to the luxurious atmosphere of fine dining, it also feels comfortable as casual dining.

Source: https://t.co/u5nU6DXGk6 pic.twitter.com/bNo7KYEN0d
— RI #Jessica&Krystal2 (@hyori_sunie) February 25, 2021

BTS member Jin’s restaurant Ossu Seiromushi

Jin once said in a 2020 Wall Street Journal interview that his “family is all in business” … and Jin himself is apparently included in that statement, as he opened the Japanese restaurant Ossu Seiromushi with his brother Kim Seok-joong in 2018.
Known for being a foodie and a talented chef, Jin is the establishment’s director while his brother officially owns and operates it, according to Koreaboo. Their signatures are dishes prepared in bamboo steamers – which is what seir0-mushi refers to in Japanese, hence the restaurant’s name.
Like many other restaurants, Ossu Seiromushi couldn’t avoid taking a hit from the pandemic. On radio show Bae Cheol Soo’s Music Camp in September 2020, Jin confessed that his brother “sold his car to keep his business, so I’m worried about these difficulties”, which prompted many BTS fans to visit the restaurant and show their support.

Jin & his brother opened up a restaurant called "Ossu Seiromushi", located near Seokchon Lake. They specialize in Japanese steamed dishes, such as beef, pork, eggs, vegetables cooked in a bamboo steamer
The restaurant is open on 5PM#JIN #진 #BTS #방탄소년단 @BTS_twt pic.twitter.com/x48EAVfnSC
— 월드와이드 핸썸 JIN OST🌕🏔 (@JinBase_) July 22, 2018

How Squid Game’s Jung Ho-yeon became an overnight icon
Jay Park’s upcoming soju business

Jay Park wears many hats: he is the founder and CEO of record labels AOMG and H1ghr Music, and a former member of the group 2PM. The popular hip-hop artist continues to aim high with his future projects too – even if they have nothing to do with music.
In 2019, Park announced his plans in an interview with Korean online music magazine Hiphople, saying that he hoped to start a soju brand. Although many Western stars own alcohol brands, from George Clooney’s Casamigos tequila to Jay-Z’s Armand de Brignac champagne, Park would be taking an unprecedented step for a Korean celebrity.


With the hope that soju would become globally popular, he further shared his ambitions in 2019 on the talk show Radio Star saying that he also plans to retire from showbiz in around 2022 to focus on producing for a K-pop idol group and starting the soju brand, which he has named Won Soju.
While fans might be sad to let him leave the music world, it’s definitely exciting to see what he will bring to the table next.
Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.


Viral Jennie clip tests limits of South Korea’s AI deepfake laws

South Korean police seek tycoon behind K-pop supergroup BTS to be indicted

Can Southeast Asian artists replicate K-pop’s global success with SEA-pop?

BTS members face backlash for attending Chris Brown concert

K-pop idols

K-pop entrepreneurs: 5 idols who founded successful businesses, from BTS member Jin’s Japanese restaurant Ossu Seiromushi to G-Dragon’s fashion brand Peaceminusone

BTS’ Jin, G-Dragon, Jay Park and Jessica Jung all run their own businesses alongside their thriving K-pop careers. Photos: @bts.bighitofficial, @jparkitrighthere, @jessica.syj/Instagram; @MGBB88/Twitter

Kim Jae-joong has ventured into various businesses. Photo: @jj_1986_jj/Instagram

Kim Jae-joong looking at his fans crowding around the Kave Mall opening in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Photo: @kave_fashion/Instagram

G-Dragon launched a fashion brand called Peaceminusone. Photo: @peaceminusonedotcom/Instagram

Peaceminusone collaborated with Nike to create a special Air Force 1. Photo: Peaceminusone

Jessica Jung opened Clareau in February 2021. Photo: @jessica.syj/Instagram

Clareau features Western cuisine. Photo: @clareaurestaurant/Instagram

Foodie Jin opened a Japanese restaurant with his brother. Photo: @BTS_twt/Twitter

Jay Park hopes to launch a soju brand. Photo: @jparkitrighthere/Instagram

K-drama queens who almost became K-pop idols: from The Heirs star Park Shin-hye to Descendants of the Sun’s Kim Ji-won, who was once a background singer for Younha

Not only can these K-drama queens wow us with their acting skills, but did you know that these actresses were also once K-pop trainees? Photos: @jiwon_hq, @ssinz7, @yoo_inna0605, @sunbin_eyesmag/Instagram

Kim Ji-won’s stage name was once “JessicaK”. Photo: @jiwon_hq/Twitter

Park Shin-hye made her on-screen debut with a music video for Lee Seung-hwan. Photo: @ssinz7/Instagram

Yoo In-na spent 11 years as a trainee at YG Entertainment. Photo: @yoo_inna0605/Instagram

Yoo In-na played Sunny in the hit K-drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God. Photo: TVN

Lee was a trainee and debuted in a group called JQT under GP Entertainment. Photo: @sunbin_eyesmag/Instagram

Lee Sun-bin is currently dating Korean comedian and actor Lee Kwang-soo. Photo: @allkpop/Twitter

Does K-pop have more selling power than Hollywood? Luxury fashion brands are ditching film stars for Korean idols – but collaborating with BTS or Blackpink doesn’t always guarantee success

Blackpink’s Jennie is a successful ambassador for Chanel who, like many other luxury brands, now find K-pop’s allure much brighter than that of legacy Hollywood stars. Photo: @jennierubyjane/Instagram

Blackpink’s Jennie. Photo: @jennierubyjane/Instagram

Actress Audrey Hepburn in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Photo: Paramount Pictures

Kai from Exo collaborated with Gucci on a capsule collection. Photo: Handout

Blackpink singer Rosé represents Saint Laurent as a global ambassador. Photo: @ysl/Instagram

Blackpink’s Lisa is the face of Celine. Photo: @lalalalisa_m/Instagram

Blackpink’s Jisoo is ambassador at Dior. Photo: @dior/Instagram

Gucci’s collaboration with Exo singer Kai. Photo: @ zkdlin/Instagram

5 K-pop idols with weird allergies: BTS’ Jin can’t eat garlic or potatoes, Twice’s Jihyo avoids pineapples and NCT’s Jeno is allergic to cats – but has 3 of them

K-pop idols BTS’ Jin, Twice’s Jihyo and NCT’s Jeno have some odd allergies. Photos: @bts_bighit, @m2mpd/Twitter; @twicetagram/Instagram

Jin says being allergic to garlic has been especially hard, given how much Korean food includes the ingredient. Photo: @BTS_bighit/Twitter

BTS fans know that Jin loves to cook, which makes his allergies even harder to deal with. Photo: JTBC

Nu’est’s Min-hyun discovered he was allergic to salt after filming the music video for Overcome. Photo: @optimushwang/Instagram

Jihyo, though often described as “fruity” by fans, is in fact allergic to pineapples. Photo: @twicetagram/Instagram

Pineapples make Jihyo’s throat itch. Photo: @twicetagram/Instagram

If Kim Woo-seok is wearing contact lens in this photo, his eyes are probably very uncomfortable! Photo: @woo.ddadda/Instagram

He is sensitive to contact lenses, but luckily fans seem to prefer Kim Woo-seok in glasses anyway. Photo: @woo.ddadda/Instagram

Despite owning three cats, Jeno is actually allergic to them. Photo: @m2mpd/Twitter

5 things to know about Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae, a star of the hit Netflix K-drama – and former fashion model, interior designer and real estate tycoon

Lee Jung-jae, star of hit Netflix K-drama Squid Game, is an established actor in Korea with numerous business interests. Photo: @netflixkr/Instagram

Lee Jung-jae behind the scenes of Squid Game. Photo: @netflixkr/Instagram

Lee Jung-jae in the movie Typhoon (2005). Photo: Handout

Lee Jung-jae and Son Ji-chang. Photo: hancinema.net

Lee Jung-jae has won hearts across the world with his role in Squid Game. Photo: @leejungjaevn/Instagram

Lee Jung-jae. Photo: @leejungjaevn/Instagram

Lee Jung-jae in a promotional shot for Netflix Korea. Photo: @actor_jungjaelee/Instagram

Lee Jung-jae’s character in Squid Game is serious, but also provided comic relief at times. Photo: @mawunderkammer/Instagram

Lee Jung-jae. Photo: @actor_jungjaelee/Instagram

Lee Jung-jae in Sunrise City. Photo: kobis.or.kr

Lee Jung-jae’s stunning looks. Photo: @actor_jungjaelee/Instagram

Lim Se-ryung and Lee Jung-jae. Photos: cherry.longlove1.kr/430

Before Blackpink and Twice was Girls’ Generation … so where are they now? Taeyeon is an award-winning solo artist while Yoona stars in Confidential Assignment 2 with Hyun Bin

Girls’ Generation: where are they all now? Photo: LG Electronics

Girls’ Generation’s early years after its debut. Photo: @meke_sound1/Twitter

Taeyeon from Girls’ Generation. Photo: @taeyeon_ss/Instagram

DJ Hyo, formerly of Girls’ Generation. Photo: DJ Hyo

Yoona from Girls’ Generation. Photo: @esteelauderkr/Instagram

Yuri from Girls’ Generation in the drama Bossam: Steal the Fate. Photo: @girlsgeneration/Instagram

Sunny from Girls’ Generation. Photo: @515sunnyday/Instagram

Jessica Jung. Photo: @jessica.syj/Instagram

Magazines

Style

Celebrities

Luxury

K-Pop

Artists & celebrities


Known as a style icon as well as a music legend, G-Dragon’s Nike Air Force 1 sneakers – Para-noise – were so popular that they re-sold for about 60 times the original US$200 price
After her fashion line Blanc & Eclare, former Girls’ Generation member Jessica Jung is giving the restaurant business a go with Seoul’s new Western eatery Clareau



BTS’ Jin isn’t just a foodie who loves to cook, he also runs a restaurant with his brother, while G-Dragon and Jessica Jung both have popular fashion brands …
