JYP's Park Jin-young Reveals Past Venture into New York's Korean Cuisine Scene

Park Jin-young, recently appointed as the co-chair of the Presidential Committee on Cultural Exchange, has revealed his past experience running a Korean restaurant in New York.

On the October 10th episode of MBC's 'If You Rest, It's a Relief' (referred to as 'Rest Relief'), viewers saw JYP's Park Jin-young, along with god's Park Joon-hyung, Son Ho-young, Kim Tae-woo, and Sunmi, venture to an uninhabited island for the first time.

The episode featured Park Jin-young, the producer behind many national stars like god, Wonder Girls, and Rain, who recently took on the role of co-chair of the Presidential Committee on Cultural Exchange. He arrived on the island with his 30-year friend, god's Park Joon-hyung. Park Jin-young shared, “I’ve mapped out a K-pop roadmap for the next five years,” showcasing his perfectionist side, and surprised everyone by revealing, “I’ve already bought my grave.”

During their time on the island, Park Jin-young unveiled a new plan: a 'Deserted Island Concert.' His dedication was evident as he brought along a keyboard and speakers, leaving Park Joon-hyung in awe. However, before the concert, they faced challenges like fishing and cooking.

Park Jin-young also fulfilled his wish of eating sea cucumbers, despite admitting, “I’ve never cooked before.” Both he and Park Joon-hyung made the mistake of discarding the valuable sea cucumber innards, but they still managed to enjoy the delicacy with a homemade dipping sauce. Park Jin-young even savored the usually discarded sea cucumber mouth, declaring it “the best sea cucumber I’ve ever had.”

The duo also attempted to make bibim noodles. Despite his inexperience, Park Jin-young enjoyed his creation, claiming it was “perfect.” He proudly shared, “I once opened a Korean restaurant in New York,” adding, “All the trendy Korean restaurants in New York now are run by people who worked at my restaurant.” Park Joon-hyung humorously noted, “The important thing is you failed, and they succeeded,” to which Park Jin-young responded, “I’m always two steps ahead,” referencing Wonder Girls’ U.S. debut.

Meanwhile, MBC's 'If You Rest, It's a Relief' airs every Monday at 9 PM.

Reporter: Kim Se-ah, TenAsia haesmik@tenasia.co.kr