Actress Song Ji Hyo’s confession on the latest episode of SBS variety show Running Man has led to mixed reactions from viewers and netizens.
On the November 8th episode of Running Man, the cast members shared their actual stock accounts and monthly expenses.
“Running Man” Cast Members Disclose Their Financial Struggles
This brought renewed attention to the financial status of Song Ji Hyo’s lingerie brand. In December 2024, she launched the innerwear brand she had prepared for about eight years, marking her transition into entrepreneurship.
She has been deeply involved in every aspect—from product planning and fabric selection to modeling and promotion—putting considerable effort into managing the brand.
However, sales have struggled since the early stages. Previously, Song Ji Hyo revealed, “I prepared for eight years to start the business, but I only get one to two orders a day.” She has since mentioned daily sales holding steady at about two to three units and cited “money” as the hardest challenge while running the business.
In November last year, she also opened a global store to enter overseas markets, but with the recent broadcast mentioning ongoing deficits again, public interest in the brand’s operation has increased.
The reactions from netizens, however, haven’t been entirely positive. Online comments include “Why bring this up on the show?”, “It’s not worth worrying about celebrities,” and “Isn’t this just brand promotion on the show?” Critics argue that revealing business struggles might be perceived as a tactic to encourage product purchases.
Conversely, some expressed support, saying, “I hope the business, prepared for eight years, succeeds,” “Business isn’t as easy as it seems, it’s unfortunate,” and “It’s impressive how she models the products herself and puts in the effort.”
With news of Song Ji Hyo’s business deficit spreading, attention now turns to whether public interest in the business will translate into actual consumer purchases.