[On the Record] ① Taei "Being a Celebrity Sweet? It's an Intense Jungle"

Singer and Actor Tae Interview ①

2004 Debut Ballad Syndrome
Expanding into Acting... Active in Multiple Genres
CEO of a Food Business with Annual Sales of 1 Billion KRW
The 19-Year History Now Revealed

"Being a celebrity is sweet. If you try another job for just a month, you immediately realize it."

I was surprised while watching TV. Who would boldly call their profession 'sweet'? Singer and actor Taei (39, Kim Ho-kyung)'s words quickly became a catchphrase. On a variety show, he appeared as a fellow celebrity of singer Lee Seok-hoon and a famous hamburger restaurant owner, and he was unstoppable. With his honest and cheerful charm, he won over viewers in just a few minutes.

Taei, a 19-year veteran entertainer, is also a small business owner with annual sales of 1 billion KRW. He opened a hamburger restaurant in Seoul with his younger brother and has been running it himself for 5 to 6 years. It was a venture born out of genuine love for hamburgers and food. He personally makes the patties and tastes the sauces while developing the menu, gaining weight but never stopping. Unlike places that just lend their name using their fame, his sincerity resonated. Taei's restaurant became a 'must-visit' spot recognized even by those who know their hamburgers well.

Debuting in 2004 wearing the so-called 'hermit crab' bread hat and captivating the era with poignant ballads, Taei expanded his domain into business while steadily communicating with the public through his songs and acting. Curious about his story, Asia Economy met Taei recently at a location in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Reflecting on the 19 years he has walked, he shared candid stories. Confident yet humble, honest yet refined words sparkled.

From Singer to Actor, Rising Success

Singer Tey [Photo by Gwasuwon Musical Company]

=You’ve lost a lot of weight compared to when we last met. Your clothes look loose.

I lost a lot because of a project, but I recently ate a bit and gained 5kg in just 3 days. The clothes are big, so maybe I look thin. Wide pants are the 'dad fit' that older people dislike, but they’re trendy these days. (laughs) So I wore them today.

=Until last year, you performed in 'Crash Landing on You' and 'Anna Chaikovsky' on stage, and this year you met audiences consecutively with the musical 'Dracula', recently 'Ludwig: Beethoven The Piano', and the play 'World Friend'. Do you often invite acquaintances to your performances?

Although the unspoken rule is not to invite acquaintances to the first show, I’m the type who does. I like to get notes quickly. You have to fix the shortcomings to present a good performance to the audience. I’m not embarrassed in front of colleagues. After all, we work together.

=What kind of people are your acquaintances? Do they give you honest feedback or just say what you want to hear?

Fellow entertainers tend to say nice things, but I have a few 'real friend' elite monitors. (laughs) We decided to praise the good parts and talk in detail about the bad parts. They tell me exactly what they feel without holding back. It became a habit for both sides. Jo Chan-hyung, who appeared on 'The Manager', is also a monitor. I even ask managers and CEOs to tell me only the bad points because it helps.

=It’s not pleasant to be criticized for shortcomings. It’s not easy to listen carefully. Does that really work?

I think I’ve gradually broken down while working. I couldn’t even monitor my singing broadcasts before. It was embarrassing and awkward. Facing myself wasn’t easy, but I got trained. I try not to rationalize it as just 'likes and dislikes' or 'not my taste'. Most people only pick up the good comments. They dismiss 'dislikes' as just preferences, but my goal is to go beyond that. I want people who don’t like Taei’s voice to one day say 'I like it' when they hear a sadly well-sung song.

=Some actors around me ask for honest feedback, but even when they get it, I sometimes feel they only hear what they want to hear.

I used to be like that too. When criticized, I wanted to make excuses and explain the circumstances. But at some point, I wondered if that really mattered. After singing and acting for a long time, I naturally accepted criticism. Communication is important as a pop culture figure. Fans are important, but I want to be applauded by a wider audience, so I accept it. It’s something I have to live with for life.

10 Billion KRW Sales at Hamburger Restaurant... Successful 'Boss Tae'

Singer Tey [Photo by Gwasuwon Musical Company]

=Your intention to 'listen to many voices' and 'communicate with the public' applies to your food business as well?

Business isn’t done alone. Without market research, you fail. Especially for celebrities, I wouldn’t recommend it. You can’t say 'I’m tired today, so I’ll rest a bit.' You have to manage every part yourself 365 days a year. I never started it lightly.

=On 'Baek Jong-won's Alley Restaurant', Baek Jong-won tasting your food actively recommended the hamburger business. How did you start seriously?

Seeing someone enjoy the food I made and return an empty plate on 'Alley Restaurant' made me so happy I almost went crazy. (laughs) I gained confidence. I prepared diligently with the hope of not getting criticized. CEO Baek praised me highly. I started around 2017-2018, so it’s been 5 to 6 years. When I first opened the store, I stayed in the kitchen for 5 to 6 months. I didn’t sing or appear on broadcasts but focused only on the store. Now I operate two branches in Hongdae and Songpa.

=You recently said on a broadcast that 'being a celebrity is sweet,' which caused an explosive reaction. But you are a celebrity yourself. What’s your stance on that remark?

It’s true. (laughs) It’s a sincere statement meaning the food business is that difficult. I’ve been in music for nearly 20 years and established my place, and I said it playfully meaning the work I do is the best. It’s not that being a celebrity is easier than other jobs. Being a celebrity is a job where you constantly get hurt and have to be cautious in a brutal jungle. The mental fatigue is huge. I meant that the work I do is enjoyable, fun, and efficient in terms of income.

=You must have felt the hardships of self-employed people and small business owners.

That’s the most accurate way to put it. After the COVID-19 pandemic, singers were hit hard. Regardless of popularity, stages decreased. Audiences couldn’t gather, and workplaces disappeared. Yet most celebrities probably couldn’t even say they weren’t making money. Not being able to speak honestly about hardships is also a hardship of celebrities. Famous celebrities were no different. In that sense, 'being a celebrity is sweet' meant the world will get better, and when that time comes, what we’ve been doing is the best to show again.

=You debuted in 2004 and have been active for nearly 20 years as an entertainer and a businessman, both successful. I didn’t know you were so serious about business. Other celebrities around you must ask a lot. What advice do you give?

I no longer handle day-to-day tasks but oversee sales. I’m out of the frontline. I want to say it’s 'day-to-day business.' You shouldn’t approach it thinking you’ll get rich in two years. Many come thinking they’ll operate a bit, then franchise and build a company, but that’s a dream. I want to discourage those who jump in with just ideas.

When I lecture as a founder, I always advise to think about risks first. If you just want to hire people and manage, don’t start at all. You can’t make a profit. Managing people is the hardest thing in the world. It’s better to move yourself. If you’re not confident facing customers every day, don’t even start. Celebrities with main jobs find it hard to focus. I tell them not to jump in easily. I say this because I’ve experienced it.

[Photo by Tei]

=It’s not easy for celebrities to succeed in the food business. What kind of determination is specifically needed?

Most come looking for something new because their entertainment activities are difficult and for future security. But when I consult in detail, they don’t have the determination to operate daily. You have to do it every day. You must be ready to sell hamburgers for life. Without focus, you inevitably neglect ingredient management. Of course, it’s good if a trustworthy partner handles the practical work with you.

=If it’s a trustworthy partner, is it family? How did you come to work with your younger brother, CEO Kim Dong-hwan? How is it to do business with a trusted family member?

CEO Baek Jong-won seriously encouraged me saying 'You can open a store at this level,' so I discussed it with my brother. I asked, 'If I do it, will you do it too?' My brother studied art. He won awards in design at many game companies and worked as a freelancer, so we became partners.

My brother and I were really close. But in the first year of operation, we fought and cried every day. Doing business with family is really hard. It’s not easy to separate brotherhood from business. You take things emotionally. There were many times I got hurt and upset by nagging and pride. Sometimes I felt disappointed and frustrated. I want to advise people not to do business with family if possible. (laughs) Fortunately, my brother and I overcame that period and became closer.

The Twenty-Year-Old Youth Wearing a Bread Hat, Rising as the Prince of Ballads

Taei [Photo by FUN Han Entertainment]

=Your debut song was 'Love Leaves a Scent...' and you officially debuted with the first album 'The First Journey' in 2004. It’s been about 19 years. Do you remember that time?

I appeared in the media in 2003, and the first album was released on January 7, 2004. I remember the debut stage clearly. It was December 27 or 28, 2003. I performed on a music broadcast stage before the album came out. I was preparing the album when suddenly MBC’s ‘Music Camp’ stage was scheduled. It was a good opportunity but sudden. At that time, my bangs got burned on the gas stove, and I couldn’t recover, so I wore a hat. It was my stylist’s hat, worn in a hurry. That was the bread hat, which became my trademark and I kept wearing it. (laughs)

=Thinking back, I remember you wearing the bread hat and arm sleeves, singing ballads poignantly. I didn’t know there was such a behind story. That’s interesting.

Back then, it was a layering hell. (laughs) I wore arm sleeves and scarves all over. Newcomers at the time did everything to show their faces more, but wearing the hat became a point and people liked it.

=You gained tremendous popularity right after debut. You swept first place on the three major broadcasters and earned the nickname 'Prince of Ballads.' I remember your music playing continuously in record stores. Wasn’t your concept mysterious?

Yes. I received huge love on a sudden stage. My agency was a personally managed company, so I was busy handling the pouring schedules. I hardly remember the people I met and worked with in my early 20s. I was overwhelmed. I kept wondering, 'What is this now?' I received enormous love without understanding or preparing for the entertainment industry and the entertainer profession.

=It took time to accept the situation.

I was so scared I developed social anxiety. At first, the attention was good, but gradually it became frightening. As a sudden new singer, many seniors approached me, but I wasn’t flexible. I was a young man from the countryside in Gyeongsang Province and didn’t know how to handle it. Seniors might have thought I didn’t want to be close. I regret not getting closer then.

[Photo by MBC 'Music Camp' screen capture]

=In a way, that personality might have protected you.

Right. There were many temptations back then, but I avoided them. Thanks to that, I still don’t drink or smoke. I debuted at 20 and had to work with glamorous people in a glamorous industry. If I had been prepared mentally, I might have wanted to party, but the glamorous world was so different from who I really was that I lacked confidence.

=Lacking confidence means you felt a gap between how you saw yourself and the singer Taei?

I didn’t think of myself as an entertainer. For three years, Kim Ho-kyung the person and Taei the singer didn’t blend well. Like playing a role, I kept creating myself as Taei. I did many things for the first time. When I returned to Ho-kyung, I acted more like Ho-kyung, spoke the dialect strongly to friends, and swore more. If I didn’t, it didn’t feel like me. I was confused for a while when I was young.

=Where did that confusion come from?

I was an honest person. But as Taei, I always had to be quiet and seem like I had something special. I avoided and hid. Because I suddenly received great love, the attention became a burden. When I appeared on shows like 'X-Man', I didn’t speak in the corner. I secretly wished, 'Please don’t make me say anything.' (laughs) Colleagues might have misunderstood that I didn’t want to do it. If I could go back, I’d have fun and work harder. But at that time, I didn’t think of it as work. The concept of work itself wasn’t clear.

[On the Record]② Taei: “I Won’t Rest from Singing, Acting, and Love” continues.