Kim Taeheon, formerly of the group ZE:A, has started a new chapter as a taxi driver.
He has been releasing videos of himself driving a taxi on his YouTube channel, “Next Taeheon”.
In one video, after leaving home before 6am, he began his day with a realistic concern, saying, “I want to increase my income, but it’s not easy. If I go to the outskirts and come back without a passenger, my earnings drop.”
His first passenger was heading to an elementary school. When Kim Taeheon revealed, “I was a rapper in ZE:A,” the passenger responded with surprise, “Young people are driving taxis these days. I never expected that.”
He candidly shared his income as well, saying, “The average varies, but if you work full-time and do well, you can make 4 to 5 million won a month. It’s worth trying.”
He added, “Being an idol means you don’t really get to experience regular work life. Managers handle everything. I grew older without even having worked part-time.” He continued, “At first, I was scared, but after trying it, it’s fun. It feels like I’m doing things now that I couldn’t when I was younger.”
Kim Taeheon debuted in 2010 as a member of ZE:A and worked as an idol. However, after the group disbanded in 2017, he faced financial difficulties and took on dozens of jobs including delivery, construction site work, logistics loading and unloading, and restaurant serving.
