Urban Zakapa's Jo Hyun Ah Reveals Financial Struggles and Investment Success on 'The Boss Has Donkey Ears'

Jo Hyun Ah of Urban Zakapa opens up about her financial struggles during the early days of her company.

On the 350th episode of KBS2's variety show 'The Boss Has Donkey Ears' airing on the 29th, Jo Hyun Ah appears as a special MC.

During the episode, Jo Hyun Ah, the CEO of her agency, candidly shares the financial difficulties she faced when establishing her company. She reveals, "I started the agency with my own money without any external investment," and adds, "After settling hair and makeup expenses for nine months, my bank balance was down to 400,000 won." She explains how she used her personal funds to pay staff expenses.

Jeon Hyun Moo comments, "Even with a balance of 400,000 won, you must have felt secure knowing you had incoming royalties," acknowledging Jo Hyun Ah's substantial earnings from songwriting royalties for hits like 'Beautiful Day,' 'Thursday Night,' and 'Drawing Spring.' Jo Hyun Ah surprises everyone by revealing, "I felt like I was the only one earning from royalties at the start, so I shared the 'Beautiful Day' royalties with my band members," and adds, "The royalties continue to come in steadily." Park Myung Soo expresses admiration, saying, "It's not easy to share royalties."

Jo Hyun Ah's success in managing her company for two years is attributed to her investment skills. Known as the 'Investment Goddess,' she has achieved a 500% return through investments in stocks and real estate, causing a stir in the studio. She shares an experience where she turned a friend's 30 million won into 100 million won, catching the attention of Yang Joon Hyuk, who has faced multiple investment and business failures.

Yang Joon Hyuk, intrigued by Jo Hyun Ah's investment prowess, asks for her guidance, expressing his ambition to become an investment guru. However, Jo Hyun Ah humorously suggests, "Read at least one book on current affairs or economics before you're ready for investment advice," leading to laughter as Yang Joon Hyuk declares his surrender.

'The Boss Has Donkey Ears' airs every Sunday at 4:40 PM.

Tae Yuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr