After Retiring from Entertainment, FT Island Member Becomes a Gukbap Restaurant Owner in New York

Seunghyun Song: "I Was Arrogant as a Celebrity... Now I Am Happy"

Screenshot of Seunghyun Song's Instagram

Seunghyun Song (33), formerly of the group FT Island, announced on September 9 through his social networking service (SNS) that after retiring from the entertainment industry, he has started a new life by pursuing a career in the restaurant business in New York.

Song said, "It has been a year since I left Korea after wrapping up 15 years in the entertainment industry. After getting married, everything here was new to me, and I faced many unexpected challenges."

He continued, "The first job I started was at my father-in-law's newly opened sundubu (soft tofu stew) restaurant. I began by learning everything from the ground up, working as a busboy and then a server. Now, I am preparing to acquire a Korean restaurant."

Song was active as the guitarist of FT Island for 10 years starting in 2009, and after leaving the group in 2019, he transitioned into acting. In February last year, he announced his retirement and moved to the United States after getting married in June of the same year. He is currently pursuing a new challenge in New York with the goal of running a gukbap (rice soup) restaurant.

He shared, "During my time as a celebrity, I thought I was humble, but I realized I was actually arrogant. There were moments when I thought I made the decision to immigrate too easily, but instead of saying it was hard, I got through each day by reminding myself, 'I made it through today.' In the entertainment industry, I received big rewards in a short time, but now I am saving money step by step through daily physical labor. Looking back, I have become stronger both physically and mentally."

He added, "There are times when I miss being on stage, but I have truly come to love what I do now and feel happy. Even if the restaurant doesn't do well right away, I am confident I can endure. Moving forward, I will become a gukbap restaurant owner who is humble, and then even more humble."