Hyelin of K-pop girl group EXID has revealed that she has become the owner of a taco restaurant, taking on the food service business in search of a more stable source of income. By running the restaurant herself, she said she has discovered new possibilities for her future.

In a video titled “Why EXID’s Once-Busy Hyelin Is Working at a Restaurant,” uploaded to YouTube channel Human Story on Sunday, the K-pop idol shared she is currently operating a taco restaurant in Anguk-dong in central Seoul. “I’ve recently been working as a DJ and in musicals, and I’m also the owner of a taco restaurant,” she said.

Although she continues to pursue entertainment activities, Hyelin explained that she took up the restaurant business as a side job because income from broadcasting is not always consistent.

“There are seasons when you’re active in broadcasting, but it’s not something you can simply choose to do whenever you want to work, so the income isn’t regular,” she said, adding that she began operating the restaurant as a way to build a more stable life.

Hyelin said she decided to enter the food service industry through her connection with the owner of the taco brand. As it was her first time running a restaurant, she said she has been receiving help from the brand headquarters.

“The headquarters sends us the prepared ingredients, and we just cook them according to the recipes,” she said.

She opened the restaurant in March and has been operating it for about five months. “There are times when sales are good and times when they drop,” she said. “On average, sales are about 140 million won ($98,000) a month, and after deducting everything, the net profit is about 40 million won ($28,000).”

Hyelin also explained why she decided to take on the challenge of starting a business.

“I’ve only ever done dancing and singing. That makes me feel insecure. I sometimes wonder, ‘What will I do for a living if I can’t do this anymore?’” she said.

She described the restaurant as a source of hope. “This challenge gives me hope that says, ‘No, you can do other things, too.’ It was a new discovery about myself and a source of joy,” she said.

Her attitude toward work has also changed since entering the restaurant business.

“It’s difficult to overcome the perception that ‘She’s doing this because her other career didn’t work out,’” Hyelin said. “I think people in Korea tend to look negatively at celebrities doing other kinds of work. But this is simply one part of my work. I’ve learned to let go of those kinds of judgments.”

Hyelin also spoke about her earnings during EXID’s peak years. “We received 90 percent of our music revenue as a group,” she said. “We didn’t make as much as many people might think. We had 10 percent, but that was then divided among the five members.”

Hyelin debuted with EXID in 2012. The group rose to major popularity after its song “Up & Down” unexpectedly climbed the music charts. EXID went on to release a string of hit songs, including “Ah Yeah,” “Hot Pink” and “DDD.” In 2022, the group celebrated its 10th anniversary with the release of its full-group album “X.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.