'Reply 1997' Song Jong-ho, facing acting hiatus, runs meat restaurant and does valet parking

Actor Song Jong-ho, who became well-known through the drama 'Reply 1997', has opened up about his three-and-a-half-year acting hiatus and his concerns regarding making a living. Although he once moved through television screens and maintained steady acting activities, as opportunities to appear in works decreased, he fell into realistic worries such as, "If I cannot do acting work, how will I make a living?" Currently, he operates a meat restaurant in Samseong-dong, Seoul, where he personally handles everything from preparing ingredients to taking orders, serving, and even valet parking customers' vehicles. His disclosure of the survival concerns hidden behind a glamorous actor's life has evoked sympathy.

In the SBS entertainment program 'My Little Old Boy' broadcast on the 11th, the daily life of Song Jong-ho, who participated in a 'My Little Old Boy style group blind date' with his mother, was revealed. The words of his mother introducing her son contained the heartache of a parent who had to watch his long hiatus. Introducing Song Jong-ho, born in 1976, and mentioning his representative work 'Reply 1997', his mother revealed, "He hasn't been able to do any works for over three years." She continued, "Just thinking about that makes me want to cry. My heart ached so much," recalling the difficulties her son must have faced.

The mother also mentioned worrying about economic issues, yet noted that her son did not show any signs of struggling. She said, "There must have been economic difficulties, but my son did not show it. He is a good son." This part is even more poignant as it highlights the reality that parents cannot solve all problems for their children even while watching them go through hard times. Even if a face is familiar to the public, the reality of an actor—who must worry about both income and the future when appearances in works stop—was revealed through the mouth of his family.

Song Jong-ho's acting hiatus was also revealed in a broadcast last July. At that time, he confessed, "It has been about three and a half years since I haven't done acting work." His last work was the 2023 tvN drama 'Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramoon'. He explained that although he had been steadily acting, his worries about the future deepened as his work decreased at some point and the proportion of the roles he took became smaller. He said, "I started having many worries about how I would make a living if I couldn't do acting work." The issue of livelihood, which is difficult to solve with passion for acting alone, approached him as a reality.

After much thought, the path Song Jong-ho chose was the food service industry. He began running a meat restaurant following a business partnership proposal from a senior. Rather than completely giving up his profession as an actor, he essentially established a foundation to support his own livelihood in a situation where acting activities are uncertain. During a hiatus where it is difficult to expect a steady appearance fee, preparation for living expenses and the future is necessary. It seems that the judgment that it would be difficult to endure by only waiting for works to come in led to this new challenge.

The restaurant operation method revealed on the broadcast also drew attention. Song Jong-ho personally took care of tasks necessary for running the store, such as checking the POS machine before business hours and preparing ingredients in the kitchen. When customers entered, he not only took orders and served food but also went outside the store to valet park vehicles. It was different from the image of a famous actor putting their name forward and leaving the restaurant operation to others. His appearance of striving to stabilize the business by personally handling practical tasks like welcoming customers and managing the store was revealed.

However, this does not mean he has given up his dream of acting. Song Jong-ho stated, "I want to continue acting work and also do my livelihood." He then shared his realistic concerns, saying, "Since my face is somewhat known and I have done many works, there aren't many audition offers. I am thinking whether I should rather go around attending auditions separately." This means that the career of being an actor somewhat known to the public can actually act as a complex condition for a new start. Just because there is recognition, casting opportunities are not automatically given, and he is in a situation where he must seek opportunities himself instead of waiting.

In this broadcast revealed three months later, his mother said that her son is gradually regaining economic stability. She explained, "Now he has opened a meat restaurant in Samseong-dong and is working hard to recover economically." To a mother who watched her son's hardships, running a restaurant likely meant more than just starting a new business; it was perceived as a process of reorganizing a once uncertain life. The mother lightened the potentially heavy atmosphere by joking to the parents of the blind date partners, "If we become in-laws, I will give you free beef anytime."

Song Jong-ho, an actor from a modeling background, has built a filmography by appearing in various works such as 'Surgeon Bong Dal Hee', 'The Princess' Man', 'Reply 1997', 'The Girl Who Sees Smells', 'A Korean Odyssey', 'Was It Love?', and 'Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramoon'. However, his past appearances and recognition did not guarantee future jobs. His case shows the reality that, unlike the glamour shown to the public, an actor's income can vary greatly depending on the supply of works.

A celebrity's business challenge is often consumed as a new side job or a success story, but in Song Jong-ho's case, it is different in nature as it was a choice to protect his livelihood amidst an acting hiatus. Running a restaurant does not mean he has given up his dream of acting, and acting again does not make his current livelihood unnecessary. His appearance of trying to find his place while balancing two jobs resonates with the concerns of those living in an uncertain professional environment. While the actor who used to act in front of the camera is now welcoming customers at a restaurant, what he has not let go of is his dream of being an actor and his will to build his own life.

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