Entertainer Hyun Young has shared how the âbank account splittingâ savings habit she started in college grew into a bestselling book and a clothing brand that recorded 8 billion won in home shopping sales.
According to MHN Sports, Hyun recounted her financial journey on a June episode of MBNâs âěíě´ěź ëěšëŻ¸.â Her parents only covered her college entrance fee, so she worked part-time jobs nonstop to pay tuition. She recalled one night when she and her sister pooled their money for a meal and came up with just 11,000 won, a moment she said pushed her to work hard and succeed.
Rather than risky investments, Hyun chose saving. She visited the bank whenever she earned money and split it across accounts by purpose instead of pooling it in one. Over time the accounts grew to around 20.
The habit unexpectedly led to a book deal after her multiple bank accounts were shown on MBCâs â경ě ěź ëě.â Initially hesitant, saying she lacked professional finance knowledge, she accepted at the publisherâs request to explain her methods in simple terms and published âHyun Youngâs Money Diaryâ in 2008. It became a bestseller, and Hyun said she earned 1 billion won in royalties alone.
She later expanded into pensions, telling MBCâs âRadio Starâ in 2020 that she held around 13 pension products. She went further into business, launching her own clothing brand as co-CEO and participating directly in planning and design.
At one point she ran three brands, and a single brand sold at home shopping topped 8 billion won in sales. Hyun clarified the 8 billion won refers to brand revenue, not her personal income, as the business was a 50-50 partnership. She later transferred her stake after moving to Songdo, Incheon, for her childrenâs education. Her latest focus is personal branding, saying the era of growing money with money is giving way to individuals becoming brands through their own platforms and audiences.
