Go Myeong-hwan's second act: From comedian to CEO with 1 billion won in sales

Comedian-turned-author Go Myeong-hwan is revealing an extraordinary second act of life, expanding his horizons from entertainer to food service entrepreneur and author. Once standing before the public as a comedian, attention is now focused on him as he operates a buckwheat noodle restaurant with annual sales of 1 billion won and works as an author sharing life directions through his books.

Go will appear on the 'Autumn Reading King Special' of JTBC's 'Knowing Bros' airing on the 12th, where he will share his reading methods and life stories. Alongside Go, announcers Oh Sang Jin and Kim So Young, and singer Kwon Eunbi will also appear. In the preview released by JTBC, the four are expected to introduce their experiences of changing the direction of their lives through reading and their respective reading habits.

In particular, Go drew attention by revealing on the show, "I jointly received the 'Author of the Year' award at the Kyobo Book Centre Publishing Awards with author Han Kang." His career is unique in that he did not simply write books as an extension of his broadcasting activities, but rather used reading as a core methodology that permeates his life and business. Currently, Go is introduced as a food service CEO and a self-development author.

Another recent update he will reveal is his restaurant management. Go is expected to disclose on the program, "I am running a buckwheat noodle restaurant with 1 billion won in annual sales." It is a transformation where an entertainer who once provided laughter through comedy programs has become a manager responsible for menu development, store operations, and sales management.

The entry of celebrities into the food service industry is not an unfamiliar sight. This is due to the advantage of being able to use the recognition and fan base secured through broadcasting activities as a business foundation. However, fame alone cannot guarantee consistent sales for a restaurant. One must maintain a certain level of quality and service while handling fixed and variable costs such as raw material costs, labor, rent, and distribution and operating expenses. In that sense, the figure of 1 billion won in annual sales serves as an indicator that significant management experience has been accumulated beyond a simple side job.

Go's career path is different from those who aimed to be entrepreneurs or authors from the beginning. After entering the entertainment industry as a comedian, he continued his broadcasting activities, but later expanded his field of activity by focusing on reading and writing. In particular, by viewing the act of reading not merely as acquiring general knowledge but as a means to redesign his life, he sought a transition from entertainer to author.

The reason this move is gaining attention is that it goes beyond the dimension of a celebrity's 'second job.' Unlike those who seek new professions after broadcasting appearances decrease or public recognition drops, Go expanded his areas of interest into reading, writing, and the food service industry, building each as a separate career. In fact, his current profile is introduced with a complex identity as a 'Food Service CEO, former Comedian, and Self-Development Author.'

On this episode of 'Knowing Bros,' Oh Sang Jin's popularity during his college days and his romance with his wife Kim So Young will also be revealed. Oh is expected to draw laughter by expressing confidence, saying, "I am the original source of the term 'handsome guy,'" while responding that regarding his actual popularity during his time at Yonsei University, "I didn't realize I was popular, but they say I was."

Kim So Young also shares her first impression of Oh before dating him. She mentions that while she thought the then-popular announcer Oh might have a somewhat light image, her impression changed as she saw the content of the books he lent her was serious and beautiful. Ultimately, in their relationship, books appear not as simple props but as a medium that changed their perception of each other.

This aligns with the direction of this special. The act of 'reading' does not stop at how much one remembers the content of a book, but can expand into an experience that influences human ways of thinking, relationships, and career choices. In Go's case, it is even more symbolic in that reading played an important role in the process of reconstructing his life from entertainer to author and businessman.

The buckwheat noodle restaurant with 1 billion won in annual sales that Go will reveal also carries weight that cannot be explained by the simple modifier 'celebrity restaurant.' A person who used to create laughter on stage is now in a position to manage the realistic numbers of a kitchen and interpret his life through books.

Ultimately, Go's recent activities show that a celebrity's success cannot be judged solely by a single profession or the duration of their popularity. As he replaces his first label as a comedian with new titles as an author and CEO, interest is mounting to see how his life philosophy will unfold on the broadcast.