[Sportschosun reporter Jo Yoon-sun] Actress and entrepreneur Kang Ye-won candidly shared the behind-the-scenes story of how she discovered FreeZia (Song Jia) and how their relationship changed after the counterfeit goods controversy.
On the 2nd, a video titled "I Invited the Second Karina, Kwon Eun-ji, to My House" was released on the YouTube channel "Gwang Ye-won."
That day, Kang Ye-won explained what led her to start an influencer management business, saying, "Nine years ago, I first made a health supplement and asked influencers to help sell it. But they were all so aloof, and some of them didn't even reply for a month, so I was hurt." She added, "I thought it would be easier for brands to communicate directly if I had my own influencer network, so I started a management company."
Kang Ye-won later said she expanded the business by signing with FreeZia, Park Ji-hyun, Imvely, Kang Hee-jae, Pink Secret, Young-gi Hong, and Yeondukkong.
In particular, Kang Ye-won spoke about how she came to know FreeZia, saying, "I first met FreeZia when she was a college junior. Back then, she had about 30,000 Instagram followers." She added, "She was so unique, cute, and full of energy. So I signed her to a five-year contract."
She continued, "She appeared on all kinds of variety shows. I chased after producers. I even took her and Park Ji-hyun to 'Heart Signal,' but FreeZia didn't make it and only Park Ji-hyun did." She recalled, "I was sure there would be a program that suited FreeZia, so I kept going to meetings and even experienced failures."
Kang Ye-won said, "Then I went to audition for Saturday Night Live (SNL). FreeZia said she wasn't confident in acting, but I told her to give it a try. However, the producer/director said, 'She acts too poorly, so I don't think it will work,' and as we were heading back, the producer/director introduced us to a show called 'Single's Inferno' and told us to try that." She added, "FreeZia said she wouldn't go on, but I persuaded her intensely. I had a feeling it would be a huge hit, and after convincing her to appear, it really blew up."
However, FreeZia later became embroiled in a controversy over wearing counterfeit luxury goods, and Kang Ye-won, who was then co-CEO of the agency, also came under criticism. After discussions, the two decided not to renew their exclusive contract in 2023 and went their separate ways.
Kang Ye-won said of the split with FreeZia, "I was disappointed and sorry. But as an actress, changing agencies and moving on is only natural. I think there must have been a reason."
She added, "I do have things to say about the incident, but I don't want to make it public. I think that's the minimum courtesy we owe each other." She continued, "I hope she does even better than she did when she worked with me. That way, I can do well too, and we can both succeed." She emphasized, "We even spoke on the phone recently. We are absolutely not on bad terms."
