From travelers to CEOs: Stars turn passion for travel into business
From left, Choi Song-hyun, Kim Ji-soo and Son Mi-na / Xportsnews
From travel agencies to books and documentaries, stars build new careers around journeys
Stars who have long enjoyed traveling are venturing into business, turning their extensive travel experiences into new career opportunities.
Choi Song-hyun announced Monday that she had become a licensed tourism business operator, saying she could now organize tours with her followers after registering as a domestic and international travel agency.
In a video announcement, Choi said she had started the travel agency on her own. She explained that many people had expressed interest in joining her and her husband on their tours since the early days of her YouTube channel.
She said plans had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a traffic accident, but she was now ready to travel with them. She also said she personally handled the procedures required to lease an office and register the tourism business.
Choi Song-hyun / Captured from SNS
Choi joined KBS in 2006 as an announcer before leaving the broadcaster two years later to pursue a career as an actress. She later expanded her activities to include scuba diving, scuba diving instruction, content creation and writing.
After marrying scuba diving instructor Lee Jae-han in 2020, she continued to share travel- and diving-related content through her YouTube channel.
Actress Kim Ji-soo has also recently started a travel agency CEO. Kim previously faced controversy over alcohol-related incidents, and took a break from public life.
She later continued working as an actress and recently established a travel agency called "Jisoo in Prague."
Kim Ji-soo / Captured from SNS
In March, Kim announced the establishment of the agency, saying, "I greet you today as the CEO of Jisoo in Prague."
She said her decision to enter the travel business was inspired by her affection for Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, which she visited in May 2024.
"Throughout my long career as an actress, the thing that has changed my life most deeply has always been travel," Kim said. She explained that she planned to offer trips that go beyond famous tourist attractions and allow travelers to experience Europe's culture, history and atmosphere.
Kim, who is reportedly currently living in Europe, previously opened up about spending the past year without finding either a new acting project or an agency, despite having hoped to start a project before the year ended.
Son Mi-na / Captured from SNS
Son Mi-na is another prominent figure who has expanded her career based on her travel experiences, working as an author, content creator and businesswoman.
Son joined KBS as an announcer in 1997 and studied in Spain while working in broadcasting. Drawing on that experience, she published the travel essay "Spain, You Are Free" in 2006.
After leaving KBS in 2007, she worked as a travel writer and later expanded her activities into YouTube content creation.
In 2022, she walked the roughly 800-kilometer Camino de Santiago trail in Spain and turned the journey into the documentary "El Camino."
More recently, she has also promoted Spanish olive oil through her YouTube channel. She has also mentioned her past experience selling Korean cosmetics through a U.S. home shopping network, highlighting her involvement in product sales and other business activities.
Choi and Kim have established their own travel agencies, while Son has expanded her career as an author, content creator and businesswoman based on her travel experiences.
Their approaches differ, but they share a common thread: Rather than keeping travel as a personal interest, they have turned it into new careers. Their ventures beyond their original professions have drawn attention and support.
This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.