Oh Sang-jin and Kim So-young. [Instagram]
Oh Sang-jin and Kim So-young. [Instagram]

Kim So-young, 38, a former MBC announcer turned entrepreneur, has opened up about her business journey — crediting her husband, Oh Sang-jin, 46, as the driving force behind her success.

Appearing on JTBC's "Knowing Bros" on Saturday, Kim described herself as "the CEO of a company that has received 7 billion won ($5.23 million) in investment," adding that her cosmetics brand had recently launched in the United States and was gaining attention after being featured in European magazines.

Cast member Lee Su-geun responded with a laugh, saying, "Sang-jin really married well — congratulations."

Kim reflected on what led her to entrepreneurship, saying she was not naturally inclined toward business. "I became an announcer because I thought from a young age it was a good job, but I kept feeling like something was off," she said.

She added that her husband had been her backbone. "He told me to quit the stable broadcasting job, trust myself and do what I wanted to do," she said.

Kim also said that while her business struggled in the early days, Oh never stopped cheering her on.

"I started my first business with 30 million won in severance pay, and my husband kept telling me to keep chasing my dreams — and that's how 10 years passed," she said. "I don't think I could have done any of this without him."

She also revealed that Oh has taken charge of the household, handling childcare and cooking on top of daily chores.

Over the past eight years, Kim has launched four brands: an offline bookstore called "Chaekbaljonso" in 2017, an e-commerce platform called "Bronte" in 2020, and in 2024, a self-developed wellness and healthcare brand called "Seren" and a skincare brand called "Curved."

Her brand-building company, Beplant, secured 7 billion won in sole Series A funding from Altos Ventures in July 2025.

Kim and Oh first met as senior and junior announcers at MBC. The couple married in 2017 and have a daughter, Sua, and a son, Suho.


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com