Cha Tae-hyun Discusses Running a Talent Agency with Jo In-sung and Paying Employee Bonuses

On the recent episode of SBS's 'Same Bed, Different Dreams 2 - You Are My Destiny,' actor Cha Tae-hyun appeared as a guest and shared insights about running a management company with fellow actor Jo In-sung.

Cha Tae-hyun revealed that he and Jo In-sung co-founded the agency with a modest vision, initially planning to manage just a few artists, including themselves, Lim Ju-hwan, and Jin Ki-joo.

Despite their small scale, the agency has received numerous contract inquiries. Cha explained, "After establishing the company, we received many contract offers, but due to our limited size, we had to decline some."

During the show, hosts Seo Jang-hoon and Kim Gura humorously suggested that fellow 'Dragon Club' members like Hong Kyung-min and Jang Hyuk should join the agency. Cha responded with a laugh, "Hong Kyung-min runs his own company, and as for Jang Hyuk, we can't afford to take on clients who don't bring in profit."

Cha also shared the pressures of being a company representative, mentioning, "I read an article about actor Lee Je-hoon being a company head and feeling stressed on payday. I can relate to that pressure."

He proudly noted that they have been able to pay employee bonuses, saying, "We don't rely on external investments; we use our own funds. It's been a year, and fortunately, we haven't faced any deficits, so we were able to give bonuses. It was quite satisfying." However, he humorously admitted, "We might have been too generous with the bonuses. During a meeting, the managers joked, 'We don't think we should be receiving this much,' and 'The company's finances aren't that great.'" Host Kim Sook praised the agency, calling it a "good company."

Reported by Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr