Following Shinsegae chairman's daughter Annie, even Hamin-gi, the grandson of the founder of Sinjeon Tteokbokki, third-generation chaebol heirs are entering the idol world.
On the 28th, agency Modenberry Korea said, "We plan to introduce a new boy group in the second half of 2026. Among them, trainee Hamin-gi will first communicate with the public through various channels," it said.
Born in 2007, Hamin-gi is the grandson of Ha Seong-ho, chairman and founder of the leading domestic food service franchise Sinjeon Tteokbokki. Standing 185 cm tall, he trained as a trainee at SM Entertainment and is preparing to debut.
The agency also said, "We are grateful that the Sinjeon Tteokbokki family is actively supporting Hamin-gi's debut preparations. Our company is devoting our full effort to training a new boy group with the goal of launching in the second half of 2026."
Regarding this, Hamin-gi also said through the agency, "I'm already excited at the thought of communicating with many fans. I'm still a trainee, but I want to become an artist and approach the public with music from the heart," expressing his determination.
Before Hamin-gi, Annie, a member of the mixed group All Day Project (abbr. AllDep) produced by Teddy, a producer from One Time, drew attention as a chaebol heir idol. Annie is the eldest daughter of Chung Yoo-kyung, chairwoman of the leading domestic distribution group Shinsegae.
Following Annie, and now Hamin-gi, actual third-generation chaebol heirs are debuting as idols. Beyond the so-called "gold spoon" image being used as marketing, the appearance of real chaebol third-generation heirs in the entertainment industry draws even more attention.
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by Modenberry Korea.
[OSEN]