[Comprehensive] COVID-19 Closures Hit Entertainment Industry... Following Hong Seokcheon and Kang Wonrae, Oh Jungyeon Also Says "Closing My Store"

Oh Jung-yeon Closes Cafe Due to COVID-19 Impact... "It Was Heartbreaking"
Hong Seok-cheon "Ran a Restaurant in Itaewon for 18 Years... Couldn't Survive Against COVID-19"

Photo by Oh Jung-yeon Instagram

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Amid news of celebrities closing their businesses due to the impact of COVID-19, including broadcaster Hong Seokcheon, former KBS announcer and broadcaster Oh Jungyeon also announced that she has closed her cafe, citing management difficulties.

On the 3rd, Oh Jungyeon posted on her Instagram, "I am sharing the news of the closure of the cafe I have been running. I endured the hardships brought by COVID-19 with affection, but an unexpected variable at the time of lease renewal became a turning point, leading to the decision to close."

She added, "The past days when I painstakingly furnished even the smallest items by personally searching for them came to mind, and these past few days have been very painful emotionally," but also said, "Having spent 21 months together and grown close with the staff, we comforted each other’s regrets, which was a consolation."

She continued, "I sincerely thank our customers who visited and loved the cafe," and wrote, "The countless connections and stories that happened inside the cafe will remain in my memory forever. Farewell."

Photo by KBS2, screenshot from 'The Boss Has Donkey Ears'.

The cafe was opened by Oh Jungyeon in May 2019 in Sinsu-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Last month, she appeared on a broadcast and revealed that she was contemplating the survival of the cafe due to the impact of COVID-19.

At that time, she appeared on KBS2 variety show 'Boss's Ears Are Donkey's Ears' and said, "I run a cafe of just over 20 pyeong (approximately 66 square meters). There is one manager, part-time workers, and including myself, there are 10 employees. The deposit is about 30 million won with a monthly rent of about 2 million won." She added, "The impact of COVID-19 is huge. I am seriously considering whether to continue or close."

Besides Oh Jungyeon, more celebrities have been closing their businesses recently due to the COVID-19 situation. Broadcaster Hong Seokcheon, once known as the 'Itaewon Legend' for running seven restaurants in the Itaewon area of Seoul, also announced closures last year.

Photo by Hong Seokcheon Instagram

In August last year, he shared on his Instagram, "I spent 18 years running restaurants only in Itaewon. It’s a very long time. I spent my 30s and 40s solely here, but now it seems time to rest a bit." He added, "I overcame all crises like the financial crisis and MERS, but it’s hard for me to endure COVID-19."

Also, Kang Wonrae, former member of the dance group Clon, closed his pub in Itaewon in November last year. Notably, last month he expressed the hardships of self-employed people, stating, "South Korea’s quarantine is the worst in the world," which sparked criticism from pro-Moon Jae-in (친문) netizens.

Following the controversy, he apologized on his Instagram, saying, "While discussing the hardships of self-employed people with you all at gatherings in Itaewon, Hongdae, Gangnam Station, and Jongno, my emotions got heated, and I used the expression 'the quarantine policy is the worst.' I apologize once again and hope for more compensatory quarantine policies in the future."

Additionally, comedian Byun Ki-soo closed his restaurant, which he had operated for over five years, in December last year due to COVID-19, and the couple Kang Jaejun and Lee Eunhyung also closed their restaurant in Mapo-gu, Seoul, after three years of operation in May of the same year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.