Comedian Kim Won-hyo says high pay from shows and events makes celebrity ventures fail
In short
Comedian Kim Won-hyo (김원효) said on a YouTube channel that entertainers often fail in business because their income from broadcasts and events is high for the time spent. He also criticised celebrities who lend their image or hold only a stake without investing their own money. Three South Korean outlets reported his remarks on 22 October 2026.
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Comedian Kim Won-hyo (김원효) said that entertainers often fail in business because their income from broadcasts and events is high for the time spent. South Korean outlets Newsis, Maeil Business and Chosun Ilbo reported his remarks on 22 October 2026. He made them on the YouTube channel 'Jangsa Geonmulju Kang Ho-dong' (장사건물주 강호동). [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Kim said that broadcast earnings are very efficient when counted by the hour or day. Singers, he said, can receive tens of millions of won for a few songs at an event, and a host can receive millions of won for one or two hours. He said that even if monthly sales exceed 100 million won, a busy shop has more staff and costs, and little remains. In his words, entertainers then think it is better to do one event than run a shop for a month, and they think of going back. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Kim said one shop's earnings may be lower than entertainment income, but the earnings of several shops can grow until entertainment income can hardly keep up. He said many do not reach that stage. Chosun Ilbo quoted him as saying that people who run one or two shops fall into this thinking, while those who expand franchises to dozens or hundreds do not. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Kim also criticised entertainers who take part by offering image rights or a stake, to avoid the risk if a business fails. Chosun Ilbo quoted him calling them stake-holding figurehead owners. He said that holding a stake can work if one takes part actively, but this is not easy. Kim said that even 100,000 or 500,000 won of one's own money makes a person work harder out of reluctance to lose it. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Maeil Business and Chosun Ilbo quoted Kim as saying that people ask him why he is no longer on television. He said he would like to appear but cannot do so unless he is called, and that a business can be started with borrowed money while television work cannot. [ 2 , 3 ]
Newsis and Maeil Business said Kim has started an offline group-buying market business. He said he had run a gimbap shop, an underwear business and sold Jirisan air, and that doing a business well himself was not enough and he had to learn. [ 1 , 2 ]
Chosun Ilbo, citing OSEN, said the video was uploaded on the 18th, while Newsis said only that it was released recently. Maeil Business added that some find his analysis realistic, while others say success depends on sector, capital and management and cannot be generalised to celebrities. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The coverage is about one entertainer's view of why celebrity businesses fail, not about a measured trend. One outlet notes that others say success depends on sector, capital and management, so his view should not be generalised to all celebrities.
Key facts
- Kim Won-hyo appeared on the YouTube channel 'Jangsa Geonmulju Kang Ho-dong' (장사건물주 강호동) and discussed why entertainers fail in business. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kim said singers can receive tens of millions of won for a few songs at an event, and hosts can receive millions of won for one or two hours of hosting. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- He said that even when monthly sales exceed 100 million won, little remains after costs, so entertainers think it is better to do one event than run a shop for a month. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kim said the gap can close once several shops' earnings add up, but many do not get that far. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- He said many entertainers take part only by putting up their image rights or holding a stake, to avoid the risk if the business fails. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kim said that even 100,000 or 500,000 won of one's own money makes a person work harder. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kim said people ask why he is not on television and he cannot appear unless he is called. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- He said he had tried a gimbap shop and an underwear business and had sold Jirisan air. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Kim Won-hyo said entertainers' income from broadcasts and events is very high relative to time worked, which leads them to give up on businesses. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kim said that holding only image rights or a stake, without investing one's own money, tends to reduce effort. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kim said that when several shops' earnings accumulate, they can exceed entertainment income, but many do not reach that stage. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- When the video was published. One outlet says it was uploaded on the 18th; another says only that it was released recently, and the video title differs between outlets.
- Reaction to Kim's remarks. Only one outlet describes reaction: some see his analysis as realistic, while others say success depends on sector, capital and management and cannot be generalised to celebrities. It does not say who holds either view.