Ha Min Gi, the grandson of the founder of the popular Korean tteokbokki franchise Sinjeon Tteokbokki, has spoken up about the growing rumors surrounding his background as he prepares for his debut.
On October 31, the YouTube channel 1ma2c uploaded a video titled 'The ‘Chaebol Idol’ Who Took Over the News: First Public Appearance of the Sinjeon Tteokbokki Founder’s Grandson.'
Earlier, MODEN BERRY KOREA announced that it will debut a new boy group in the second half of 2026 and introduced Ha Min Gi as one of the trainees. Born in 2007, Ha Min Gi quickly gained attention for being both the grandson of the Sinjeon Tteokbokki founder and the nephew of CEO Ha Sung Ho. Even before his debut, he earned the nickname “tteokbokki spoon,” a playful reference to his family background, and was labeled a “chaebol idol.”
However, Ha Min Gi clarified that his journey had nothing to do with family wealth. “At first, even my agency did not know about my background,” he said. “They were really surprised when they found out. They said they were excited and had high expectations, so I have been working hard to live up to that.”
Addressing the “chaebol idol” title, he commented, “I am not a chaebol myself. My parents might be well-off, but I do not really think of it that way. I guess our house is nice. The living room is big with glass windows. But my parents were never into luxury cars. They just liked Mercedes-Benz. I suppose.”
Responding to online speculation that his family funded his training, Ha Min Gi firmly denied it: “I saw comments saying, ‘If he is a chaebol idol, maybe his family invested in the company.’ That is absolutely not true. I applied myself, attended meetings, and auditioned just like everyone else. I have never spent a single won in this industry, except for academy fees. I took all the auditions myself, probably around 200 in total.”
He also shared that it took some time to convince his father to let him pursue a career in idolism. “I started persuading my dad around my third year of middle school. My parents were not against it, but they were worried. It is such a competitive field, and debuting is hard. I told them, ‘Even if I fail, I will not regret trying,’ and that finally convinced them.”
Ha Min Gi added that his grandmother, the Sinjeon Tteokbokki founder, offered him advice that keeps him grounded: “She told me, ‘The world is harsh, and whatever you do will be difficult, so never give up.’ Since my background is now public, I am careful not to hurt the brand image. I know people might criticize or envy me, but I am focusing on the people who support me and working even harder to show them my best.”
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