Hwang Jae-gyun Opens Up About Retirement and New Beginnings on 'Radio Star'

Hwang Jae-gyun, who recently signed an exclusive contract with SM C&C two years after his divorce from T-ara's Jiyeon, shared his thoughts on 'Radio Star'.

The episode of MBC's variety show 'Radio Star' aired on the 25th, featuring Park Young-gyu, Hwang Jae-gyun, Yoo Hee-kwan, and No Min-woo in a special titled 'Show! Self-Centered'. This marked Hwang's first public discussion about his decision to retire, which he announced last December.

Hwang revealed that despite being advised against it by everyone around him, he had been contemplating retirement since the beginning of the season. He dismissed rumors about retirement conditions, stating firmly that it was not about the conditions but his desire to finish his career playing in the first team.

He also shared his emotions post-retirement, recounting how he saw off his juniors at the airport for their training camp and even prepared lunchboxes for them, showing his affection for his team and juniors. Hwang expressed his clear intention to venture into entertainment, aspiring to become a sports star-turned-broadcaster like Seo Jang-hoon and Ahn Jung-hwan. He confidently mentioned his interest in physical variety shows, humorously recalling Kim Jong-kook while watching 'Running Man'.

The highlight of the show was his attempt at Kim Gook-jin's legendary candle-blowing challenge. Hwang successfully extinguished a candle with a baseball bat, earning applause, and continued to impress with his participation in classic variety challenges, leaving a strong impression.

Reporter Se-yoon Jung, TenAsia yoon@tenasia.co.kr