K-pop girl group members have been making headlines as they transition into everyday careers, with EXID’s Jeonghwa working as a cafΓ© employee and Hyerin running a taco restaurant. Former Jewelry members Lee Ji-hyun and Haμ£Όμ° are also navigating new paths as a hairstylist and a kitchenware showroom manager, respectively. These stars recently opened up about their new workplaces and the personal circumstances behind their journeys into employment and entrepreneurship.
On November 10, a video featuring Jeonghwa working as a barista surfaced on a cafΓ© influencer’s social media page. Jeonghwa revealed that she was in her fourth week of work, explaining that she had officially joined the company as a regular employee.
Customers who recognized her often assumed it was a pop-up event or short-term gig. Jeonghwa shared that she is at the cafΓ© almost every day of the week, explaining that she wanted to learn more deeply about coffee while balancing her acting and music activities.
Hyerin, her fellow group member, operates a taco restaurant in Anguk-dong, Seoul. Appearing on the YouTube channel ‘Human Story’ on August 14, she introduced the business, which opened in March of that year.
Hyerin revealed that her average monthly revenue at the time was approximately 140 million won, with net profits around 40 million won after subtracting rent, labor, and other expenses. She noted that this was a general average, as sales tend to fluctuate.
The motivation behind starting the business stemmed from unstable broadcast incomes. She confessed that her active periods were limited and she could not work whenever she wanted. Having only ever danced and sung, she also felt anxious about whether she could handle any other kind of work.
After working part-time at a restaurant, Hyerin opened her store through connections with a taco brand representative. Alongside managing her restaurant, she continues her activities as an EXID member, a DJ, and a musical actress.
Lee Ji-hyun, formerly of Jewelry, prepared to obtain a hair stylist license while raising two children alone. After failing the exam seven times, she passed in March of last year and worked as a designer and marketing director at a hair salon following a designer training course.
Appearing on Seo In-young’s YouTube channel in August, she explained that she works as an employee rather than running her own shop. She expressed gratitude toward fans who used to follow her public appearances and now visit her salon as customers.
Recently, she decided to change jobs for the sake of her children. Lee Ji-hyun shared on social media that her daughter was injured and needed four stitches, forcing her to go to the hospital alone. She confessed her heart ached that she could not be by her children’s sides when they needed their mother most, despite working hard.
Lee Ji-hyun plans to continue model work while moving to another salon located just five minutes away from her home. She stated she aims to become a “five-minute standby” who can rush to her children whenever they call for her.
Haμ£Όμ° is currently working as a showroom manager for a kitchenware brand. In a video released on the YouTube channel ’35-Year-Old Noh Sa-yeon’ last month, she shared lunch with Noh Sa-yeon and discussed her employment journey.
After leaving her agency following her Jewelry activities, she started with a cafΓ© part-time job. She submitted resumes to hundreds of places through job search sites, looking back on how difficult it was to secure a job with limited experience outside of entertainment activities.
Haμ£Όμ° expressed satisfaction with a life where a monthly salary comes in regularly. She previously explained on television that getting a corporate job did not mean she had retired, but rather that she could no longer simply wait around for work offers to come in.
