Lee Jeong-hyun's side stated regarding the application for Kia's production job posting, “This is not preparing for retirement.”
On the 24th, Lee Jeong-hyun's agency, Actor Directors, clarified to Maeil Business Star Today, “Lee Jeong-hyun's application for Kia's production job posting is a matter of the actor's private life.” They added, “This is not a step towards preparing for retirement. He is currently working hard on the filming of the ENA drama 'New Recruit 3.'”
On the 23rd, Lee Jeong-hyun posted on SNS, “Rejected. Merry Christmas,” along with a photo. The photo contained a rejection message from the Kia recruitment officer.
Kia had announced a new recruitment posting for production positions from the 5th to the 13th of this month and received applications. The positions recruited are engineers who will work in the automotive manufacturing department, assembling car parts on the assembly conveyor line or performing necessary inspections before part assembly. Kia's production positions offer an average salary of 127 million won per person, making it one of the highest-paying jobs in the industry alongside Hyundai Motor Company, attracting attention.
Lee Jeong-hyun previously revealed during his appearance on the MBC Every1 variety show 'Video Star' in 2021 that during his time as an unknown actor, he found it difficult to make a living solely through acting and therefore obtained various certifications. Lee Jeong-hyun holds over ten certifications, including martial arts-related certificates in judo and taekwondo, as well as qualifications in word processing and distribution management, and has diverse experience as a security guard for the Korea Racing Authority and a personal trainer.
Meanwhile, Lee Jeong-hyun graduated from Yongin University with a major in judo and made his debut in the 2014 play 'Kyung-sook and Kyung-sook's Father.' He gained public recognition for his role as the cruel Japanese army officer Tsuda in the tvN drama 'Mr. Sunshine' aired in 2018. Since then, he has appeared in Netflix's 'Sweet Home,' the ENA 'New Recruit' series, and SBS's 'Escape of the Seven.' He is currently filming 'New Recruit' Season 3.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
