The unexpected start of a new career!
Just now
SS501’s Kim Kyujong is no longer just a K-Pop idol; he is also a successful businessman.
SS501’s Kim Kyujong | @jdream_kyujong/Instagram
The star recently appeared on the YouTube channel Hong Seok Cheon’s You Ik Ham, where he opened up about his second chapter as a writer, exhibition creator, and CEO. During the episode, host Hong Seok Cheon introduced Kim Kyujong’s surprising business venture, revealing that the former SS501 member had entered the nurungji business.
Nurungji is Korean scorched rice, a crispy snack or dish made from the browned rice left at the bottom of a pot. For Kim Kyujong, the item became the unexpected start of a new career.
Kim Kyujong’s “Nurungzip” product | @nurungzip/Instagram
According to the idol-turned-CEO, the idea first came about when nurungji was trending. At the time, he was discussing business ideas with a producer, who suggested creating a flavored version of a classic Korean dish.
Nurungji was trendy for a while. At the time, there was a platform called Wadiz that funded trendy products, and while talking with a producer, they suggested, ‘What if you made truffle-flavored nurungji?’
— Kim Kyujong
The timing was perfect, as one of Kim Kyujong’s friends already had a nurungji factory. But rather than simply putting his name on the brand, Kim Kyujong personally jumped into production. He revealed that the process required a lot of manual labor, from cooking the rice to making the nurungji by hand.
Nurungji all had to be made by hand, and we had to cook the rice too. Since we were just starting out, I wanted to cut labor costs, so I personally completed hygiene training, wore a hat, cooked the rice, and made the nurungji myself.
— Kim Kyujong
Although he originally started the business with a friend, that friend eventually stepped away from the project. Kim Kyujong was then left to run the brand on his own. Instead of quitting, he doubled down. He said, “I thought, ‘Let’s go as far as we can.’ My hometown is Jeonju, so I opened a small factory there and started manufacturing.”
His mother was initially surprised by his dedication to the business and asked whether he should be focusing on broadcasting instead. Kim Kyujong, however, felt responsible for keeping the brand alive.
With his mother’s help, Kim Kyujong continued developing the business. What began as a small passion project soon turned into something much bigger when pop-up stores started reaching out!
I originally planned to just do it a little bit for fun, but starting the year before last, pop-up stores that were trending began contacting me nonstop. I developed flavors like truffle, yellow cheese, and chocolate cinnamon and brought them there, and it did really well. We sold out at Yongsan I’Park Mall.
— Kim Kyujong
After that success, inquiries reportedly poured in from multiple pop-up stores, proving that Kim Kyujong’s business had found real demand. Although the business is currently on pause while he works on new ideas, Kim Kyujong’s story surprised viewers, revealing just how hands-on he was in turning a trendy Korean snack into a sold-out item.
Watch the full clip here: