ENTERTAINMENT
Stars Who Found New Careers: From Acting to Cooking and More
Currently boasting 1.86 million subscribers on YouTube, Ralral (real name Lee Yu-ra) was originally a musical actress. Despite entering college with a major in musical theater after retaking the entrance exam, she found the work demanding and the income insufficient, leading her to pursue a different career.
Feeling depressed from her routine of commuting between home, work, and church, she decided to channel her energy into internet broadcasting. By March 2020, just four months later, Ralral had reached 100,000 subscribers. In December of the same year, she won the Rookie Award and the Variety BJ (Female) Award at the BJ Awards.
Since February last year, she has introduced the character 'Lee Myung-hwa,' a middle-aged woman, gaining significant attention with her perfect makeup and speech, marking a new peak in her career.
Debuting as a comedian in 2000 through KBS's 15th open recruitment, Jeong Jong-chul is better known as 'Okjubu.' Known for his unique visuals and characters like 'Okdongja' and 'Mabbaki,' his life changed dramatically after receiving a letter from his wife, who was suffering from depression.
Jeong Jong-chul revealed on a radio show that he became 'Okjubu' after realizing the seriousness of his wife's condition. He admitted, "I used to think that as a man, all I needed to do was earn money. But after our youngest was born, my wife was handling three kids alone, and she left a will in my bag when I went out." This realization led him to start managing the household.
As comedy shows like KBS 2TV's 'Gag Concert' began to decline, he transitioned his household tips to YouTube, where he now has 280,000 subscribers.
Ryu Soo-young is living a second life after appearing on KBS2's variety show 'New Release, Pyeonstorang.' Debuting in 1998 and building a diverse acting portfolio, he joined the show by chance in 2020, presenting easy-to-follow recipes that quickly gained a fanbase among young adults living alone.
He earned the nickname 'Eonam Teacher,' combining his real name Eonam Sun with 'teacher,' and his appearances on variety shows have since increased significantly. Currently, he is involved in cooking-related shows like SBS's 'Jungle Food,' JTBC's 'Street Food Fighter,' and E Channel's 'Ryu Student Eonam.' Recently, he debuted as a cookbook author with 'Ryu Soo-young's Lifetime Recipes.'
Debuting as a member of Davichi in 2008, Kang Min-kyung has consistently captivated audiences with hits like 'Love and War.' Despite releasing albums annually, the group's hiatus since 2016 led her to start a YouTube channel 'Kyang Ming Kyung' in 2018 to connect with fans.
By sharing videos about her home, pets, beauty tips, exercise, and cooking recipes, she shed her mysterious image, rapidly increasing her subscriber count. This success led her to launch a fashion brand in 2019, which became a hit, prompting her to expand into cosmetics last year. Kang Min-kyung is now a multi-talented figure, balancing her music career with her clothing and beauty businesses and YouTube channel.
Jung Da-yeon, Ten Asia Reporter light@tenasia.co.kr
