College Student Restaurant Owner, Rumored to Debut in Korean Entertainment Industry
Ikeda Honoka, the owner of the Japanese Chinese restaurant ‘Chuka Dongo (中華東東)’, which is also known in Korea as a look-alike of NewJeans Minji, is claimed to have decided to go to Korea to debut in the entertainment industry.
On the 6th, Chuka Dongo, the restaurant operated by Ikeda Honoka, announced through its official social media (SNS) that Ikeda would be leaving the restaurant.
Ikeda is a person who runs a restaurant inherited from her grandfather together with a friend in Japan, and she gained significant attention in Korea last year through a YouTube channel video introducing Japanese restaurants as a ‘look-alike of NewJeans Minji’.
Chuka Dongo stated, “Honoka’s dream of becoming an announcer was shattered, and due to worsening living conditions and surroundings, she was cut off by her parents after repeated lies and acts of betrayal. She was usually a thoughtful child who apologized to her parents when she was wrong and worked hard at Chuka Dongo, but this time it was different. She went to an agency.”
They added, “The agency wanted to promote Honoka in Korea and said something big was planned there. It seems she prioritized agency work over her relationship with her parents and us, and needed a passport to go to Korea.”
The restaurant claimed that Ikeda disappeared unilaterally without coming to the restaurant and that they had no agreement with her. However, they also said it appears she joined a Korean agency and that they would respect her wishes.
The restaurant said, “We have completely lost contact with Honoka since July 24,” and “Although we received a DM (Instagram direct message), it was very different from the usual messages Honoka sends.”
They explained that Honoka contacted her parents from an unofficial number on July 29. Honoka reportedly told her parents, “Thank you for raising me until now, but I will work hard on my own,” and said, “I need a passport.” When her parents asked about university or her future, Honoka said, “If I tell everything, my career as an entertainer will be ruined,” and asked them to keep it a secret, according to the restaurant.
Earlier, Ikeda also revealed on her personal SNS on the 29th of last month that “due to circumstances, I had to quit the restaurant.”
Meanwhile, it is reported that Honoka inherited the Chinese restaurant located in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, after her grandfather’s death in 2020. At the time of her grandfather’s passing, Honoka was a high school senior and, after contemplating whether to continue the restaurant that had been in the family for over 40 years, she decided to become the restaurant owner while still a university student.
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