{
  "id": 12340843,
  "title": "Celebrities who tried opening cafes in Korea say 'think twice'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/celebrities-who-tried-opening-cafes-in-korea-say-think-twice-12340843",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-06T08:57:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/20261006/celebrities-who-tried-opening-cafes-in-korea-say-think-twice"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Korea may appear to be a paradise for coffee enthusiasts, with establishments seemingly dotting every street corner. However, those who have attempted to run a cafe in the country have a cautionary tale to share: think twice before following suit.\n\nSinger and rapper Hanhae recently disclosed his own unfortunate encounter with the cafe industry. Lee Hyo-ri, a K-pop icon, recounted that even the highly successful Jeju cafe owned by her husband, musician Lee Sang-soon, did not generate as much revenue as its long queues might have indicated.\n\nThese insights were shared on the Monday episode of JTBC's relationship reality show \"Love War,\" following a guest who expressed a desire to open her own cafe. Hanhae was quick to dissuade her from pursuing this path. \"I have personally failed at operating a cafe, so this doesn't seem like someone else's concern,\" he remarked.\n\nHanhae elaborated that he once opened a modest cafe in Seoul's Sangam-dong, specializing in yogurt and coffee. Nevertheless, he faced difficulties competing when a large franchise nearby began offering coffee at a remarkably low price of just 900 won ($0.64) per cup. The reality of the situation, he pointed out, was far from glamorous.",
  "summary": "Korea may look like a cafe lover's paradise, with coffee shops seemingly around every corner. But celebrities who have actually tried running one have a surprisingly sobering message for aspiring owners: Think twice. Singer and rapper Hanhae recently shared his own costly experience in the cafe business, while K-pop icon Lee Hyo-ri revealed that even the wildly popular Jeju cafe run by her…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Celebrities who tried opening cafes in Korea say 'think twice'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/celebrities-who-tried-opening-cafes-in-korea-say-think-twice",
        "published": "2026-10-06T08:32:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}