What’s attracting celebrities to world of home shopping?

Han Ye-seul introduces handbags on CJ OnStyle’s “What Should I Wear Today?” while Sung Yu-ri returns to broadcasting through GS Home Shopping’s “Sung Yu-ri Edition.” Captured from CJ OnStyle and GS Home Shopping

By KTimes

• Published May 1, 2025 12:13 PM KST

Sung Yu-ri returned to the spotlight on Wednesday through GS Home Shopping’s “Sung Yu-ri Edition,” selling household goods for the first time in over two years.

The singer-actress had halted her career following controversy surrounding her husband’s fraud allegations. Now, she joins a growing list of high-profile stars — including Han Ye-seul, So Yoo-jin, Jang Shin-young, Ahn Jae-hyun and Soyou — who have recently debuted as home shopping hosts, a rising trend in the Korean entertainment industry.

The appeal is mutual. Home shopping companies benefit from celebrity-driven marketing, while celebrities find an accessible way to reconnect with the public.

Since the latter half of last year, major stars have increasingly embraced the role of show host. Actress Han Ye-seul has been fronting the CJ OnStyle mobile live show “What Should I Wear Today?” since September. That same month, So Yoo-jin launched the GS Home Shopping program “The So Yoo-jin Show,” selling kitchen products. Actress Lee Yoo-ri began “Yoo-ri’s Modern Shopping” with Lotte Home Shopping, offering household goods and food. Actor Ahn Jae-hyun joined CJ OnStyle’s “Indoor for a While” in October and actress Jang Shin-young began hosting “The Jang Shin-young Show” on GS Home Shopping in February.

These are not just guest appearances. Former lead actors are now headlining home shopping broadcasts under their own names.

Industry experts attribute this shift to a broader change in the public perception of home shopping. “People used to think of show hosts simply as merchants. Now, they’re seen as guides helping viewers shop more wisely," said Kim Sung-soo, a pop culture critic. "It’s become such a spotlight profession that more people aspire to become hosts than news anchors. Naturally, it’s also become a viable option for celebrities.”

The struggling home shopping sector is seeing renewed vitality thanks to “star marketing.” Familiar faces from the 40s to 60s age bracket — home shopping’s primary demographic — draw loyal fan bases to broadcasts.

Han Ye-seul’s first show attracted 350,000 simultaneous viewers, while So Yoo-jin’s program racked up 14 billion won (approximately $10.2 million) in cumulative orders just three months after its launch. With talents like Han Ye-seul, Soyou and Ahn Jae-hyun onboard, CJ OnStyle saw nearly a 30 percent jump in third-quarter operating profit compared to the previous year. Its mobile app also hit a record number of daily active users in September.

For celebrities, home shopping now represents a new branch of entertainment work. With traditional broadcasting shifting heavily toward online streaming platforms, many former lead actors are finding it harder to land roles.

“Actors who aren’t chosen for OTT projects face significant challenges finding work," said Kim Heon-shik, a professor of social and cultural studies at Jungwon University. "Given this environment, I expect even more celebrities to turn to home shopping in the future.”

Still, participating in product sales requires more than name recognition. Because celebrities directly pitch the items, they must be involved in product selection and prepared for quality control issues. “Home shopping is different from a simple ad where only a celebrity’s image is used,” Kim said. “They need to test products themselves and take care to manage any potential crises.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.