Kim Kyu-jong, formerly of the group SS501, recently shared updates about his venture into the scorched rice business.
On May 7, a video titled “[Useful] Ep 35. A senior idol who has mastered everything from variety shows of that era to business (with SS501 Kim Kyu-jong)” was released on the YouTube channel ‘Hong Seok-cheon’s Jewelry Box’.
During the episode, Hong Seok-cheon invited Kim Kyu-jong, who is now living a second life as a writer and CEO, to catch up.
Hong Seok-cheon expressed his excitement at reuniting with Kim Kyu-jong, noting, “Kyu-jong is running a scorched rice business and holding exhibitions.”
Kim Kyu-jong explained how it all started: “Scorched rice was trendy for a while. There was a platform called Wadiz where people fund trendy items. While talking with a PD, they suggested, ‘Why don’t you try making truffle-flavored scorched rice?’ As it happened, a friend of mine owned a scorched rice factory.”
He revealed his hands-on approach, saying, “Since scorched rice has to be handmade and the rice needs to be cooked first, I wanted to reduce labor costs since it was my first time. I personally completed hygiene training, put on a hat, and cooked the rice to make the scorched rice myself.”
Although he started the brand with ambition, the friend he began the business with unfortunately gave up, leaving Kim Kyu-jong to run the brand on his own.
Kim Kyu-jong confessed his passion for the business: “I thought I’d see how far I could go. Since my hometown is Jeonju, I set up a small factory there and started manufacturing. My mother asked, ‘Shouldn’t you be doing broadcasting?’ but I told her, ‘If I don’t do this, who will?'”
With his mother’s help, he continued the business. He shared, “I intended to do it just for fun on a small scale, but starting the year before last, I began receiving inquiries from pop-up stores, which were very trendy. I developed truffle, yellow cheese, and choco cinnamon flavors, and it went incredibly well. We completely sold out at Yongsan I’Park Mall.”
Following the sell-out, inquiries from various pop-up stores poured in, leading to the business’s success. Kim Kyu-jong mentioned that he has temporarily paused the business, stating, “I need new developments, but I can’t think of any new ideas. So, it’s currently on hold.”
