Jay Park, the real green light for retirement after a reversal... Soju businessman continues to thrive in the U.S.

Can singer Jay Park make retirement, which he has been thinking about for a long time, a reality? It is reported that he is thriving as a soju businessman in the United States, and he is gaining strength for his retirement.

SBS 8 News, which aired on the afternoon of the 25th, shed light on the status of Korean food in the United States under the title 'Captivating New Yorkers, Pork Gomtang Selected as Food of the Year'. 8News explained that in the U.S., Korean food is not just a fad but is being accepted as high-class, and the number of high-end Korean restaurants has increased from only two five years ago to nine last year and 11 this year. He added, “This is the result of Americans, who opened their eyes to Korean culture through music, dramas, and movies, now turning their attention to food.”

On this day, Jay Park attracted attention by appearing as a soju businessman and answering a news interview. At a high-end party where cocktails were made using Korean soju, Jay Park said, "Bartenders also say that it's great to use this (original soju) in cocktails. Because the original ingredients and quality themselves are good," and "In fact, the response was so hot right away. “I didn’t know that,” he said, drawing attention.

Jay Park, who announced the founding of a soju company in 2019, expressed his ambition to 'go overseas and make a drink that can be proud of as a Korean drink.' Afterwards, Jay Park officially launched Wonsoju through a pop-up store on February 25, 2022, and achieved great success with sales of approximately 50 billion won in the same year. Starting in 2023, the following year, it will enter the US market and become very popular.

Accordingly, there is speculation that retirement, which Jay Park has been thinking about for a long time, may actually be getting closer. He surprised many people by suddenly announcing his retirement in 2019, saying, "I'm thinking about retiring sometime next year," but in 2021, he reversed his retirement, saying, "There is more work left to do."

He also mentioned retirement when he appeared on MBC's entertainment program 'Point of Omniscient Interfere' last month. Jay Park had a meal with retired martial arts athlete Chan-seong Jung and mentioned his unwavering thoughts about retirement, saying, "It's good to retire," and "I have to do more." In this broadcast, Jay Park said without change, "I am active because I still have a role to play, and if I feel that I no longer need to play that role, I can comfortably let go." He added, "The situation in which I can retire is gradually becoming more and more possible." As he said, "It's the same," fans are paying attention to whether his remarks will become reality in the near future.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr