Yu Kkaennip moves from 70 million won monthly income to minimum wage job

Beauty creator Yu Kkaennip has opened up about the harsh economic realities she faced following her divorce and her current life working a part-time cafe job to rebuild.

On the 5th, Yu shared glimpses of her daily life on SNS with the caption, "I used to always start my morning with coffee..." The post depicted her leading a more modest, health-conscious lifestyle compared to her past.

Currently, she is balancing her career as a creator with a part-time job at a cafe operated by her boyfriend. Beyond producing online content, she is working on-site to secure a more stable income.

However, her current situation follows a period of significant hardship.

During the April broadcast of TV CHOSUN's "X's Private Life," Yu candidly revealed the financial instability she experienced immediately after her divorce.

"After the divorce, my income was zero for several months," she confessed.

She explained that although she once earned as much as 70 million won per month as a creator, the extreme income fluctuations inherent to freelance work made her life unpredictable.

"Being a creator is not a job with a fixed monthly salary. There are times when you earn a lot, but there are also months when there is no income at all," Yu said. "My minimum income was truly 0 won."\

She further explained that the need for a steady paycheck was driven by her responsibilities, stating, "Since I also had to continue paying child support, a stable income was absolutely necessary."\

"I started a new job for the first time in almost 10 years after the divorce," she said calmly. "I am working for the minimum wage, just like the other employees."\

Her pragmatic decision to prioritize a steady livelihood over glamorous, fluctuating earnings has garnered significant empathy from the public.

Her ex-husband, YouTuber Choi Gogi, expressed surprise upon learning of her current situation.

"I didn't know she was working at a cafe," Choi said. "It broke my heart to see her working so hard for Sol-ip."\

The two have drawn attention for continuing to fulfill their parental responsibilities for their daughter despite their separation.

Yu married Choi in 2016, and the couple had a daughter, Sol-ip, before divorcing in 2020. Currently, Choi is raising their daughter, while Yu continues to rebuild her life by balancing content creation with her cafe work.