K-Pop Star Sung Si-kyung Opens Up About Negative Reputation Among Advertisers

K-pop singer Sung Si-kyung recently revealed that he has a negative reputation among advertisers, sparking surprise among fans.

On October 7, a video titled 'Hajime's Delicious Sung Si-kyung: A Solo Drink with the True Gourmet King' was uploaded to the YouTube channel 'Gochu Wasabi.'

In the video, Sung Si-kyung was asked about his criteria for recommending restaurants. He responded, "These are all places I know. I introduce places where I have had memorable meals, so I don't take money for it. If I accepted money for restaurant introductions, I would have more money than I do now."

He added, "There are no YouTube channels like ours without ads. I would like to do ads, but I can't promote something that doesn't taste good. That's why there's a bad rumor among advertisers that 'he won't do it.'"

Sung Si-kyung further explained, "I have to genuinely say 'this is good' when I eat something, and I can't do that with something that doesn't taste good. So, I carefully select the places I recommend."

He also praised actor Hiro Mitsu Takeda, who is producing content exploring Korean restaurants as a Japanese national. "I watched his channel, and he visits all the good places. He's not doing it half-heartedly. It's tough for me as a Korean, so I can only imagine how hard it is for him. I'm grateful. It's a great channel," he said.

Finally, Sung Si-kyung expressed his support, saying, "Think about it the other way around. I'm working hard in Japan, and it must be touching for Japanese people. That's how I feel. I'm grateful and hope it goes really well."

Reported by Min-kyung Lee, TenAsia 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr