From News Desk to CEO’s Desk
Hey everyone! You might know that in Korea, TV announcers are pretty big celebrities. Well, one of the most beloved announcers, Kim So-young, who is also famous for being married to another star announcer, Oh Sang-jin, is making headlines for a totally different reason now. She’s a full-blown CEO, and she’s proving to be an amazing one at that!
She recently posted a video on her YouTube channel, ‘Kim So-young’s Ddinguri TV’, sharing a peek into her company’s year-end dinner, or *’hoeshik’* as we call it in Korean. And let me tell you, it was not your average pizza party.
A 7 Million Won Thank You
Get this: Kim So-young treated her entire team to a fancy dinner at a hotel buffet, and the bill came out to a whopping 7 million won (that’s nearly $6,000 USD!). She explained that her company, which started with just five people, has grown so much, and this was her way of showing her immense gratitude to her staff. It’s so cool to see a boss appreciate their team in such a generous way!
She even arranged five separate cars to get everyone to the hotel. Talk about traveling in style! She mentioned that holding the annual party at a nice buffet has become a company tradition. Why a buffet, you ask? Her reason is actually super thoughtful.
A Modern Take on Company Dinners
Traditionally, Korean company dinners (*hoeshik*) can sometimes be a bit stressful, often involving lots of drinking and staying out late. But Kim So-young has a more modern approach. She explained that she chose a buffet because all her team members have very different tastes and preferences. Some like a quick dinner, while others enjoy a more fun and long one. A buffet is the perfect way to make sure everyone feels comfortable and can enjoy what they like. It’s a small detail, but it shows how much she respects her employees as individuals.
The Brains Behind the Business
So, what exactly is her company? After leaving her job as an announcer at the major network MBC in 2017, she opened a bookstore called ‘Chaek Baljeonso’ (which translates to something cool like ‘Book Power Plant’). That single bookstore has since expanded into a successful brand-building company called ‘b.plant’, which includes an e-commerce platform and multiple other brands. Her company even attracted a massive 7 billion won investment from a major venture capital firm earlier this year. No wonder she’s celebrating!
It’s so inspiring to see a well-known personality switch gears and become such a successful and thoughtful entrepreneur. Big cheers to Kim So-young for setting a new standard for what it means to be a great boss!
