![Yeongsu, a cast member from Season 28 of ENA and SBS Plus' "Naneun Solo" [ENA·SBS Plus "Naneun Solo" capture]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/14/news-p.v1.20260608.a10104b346124200a9e8321d2444e49a_P1.jpg)
Yeongsu — real name Kim Ha-seop — who appeared on the Season 28 "divorcee special" of the ENA and SBS Plus reality program "Naneun Solo" ("I Am Solo"), has been drawn into controversy after allegedly filing his company for bankruptcy without notifying shareholders who had collectively invested 7 billion won (about $4.58 million).
According to investment media outlet Dealsite, Kim, chief executive of traditional tea startup Medipresso, filed for bankruptcy with the court on May 3 but waited nearly three weeks before sending shareholders a letter on May 21 informing them of the filing.
Shareholders protested the unilateral decision and the belated notification, and Medipresso reportedly sought to placate them by pledging to explore a turnaround plan.
The company ultimately received a bankruptcy ruling on June 3 — one month after the initial filing.
Kim did not disclose this development in advance. Instead, he held a shareholder meeting the following day, June 4, to present a business normalization plan, only to abruptly announce the bankruptcy ruling at the very end of the session before leaving, according to reports.
Investors who had been expecting a viable recovery plan were left with nothing.
Some have raised questions about whether the bankruptcy process followed proper procedure. Consulting with and obtaining consent from investors — as stakeholders — is considered essential during bankruptcy proceedings, and Medipresso's investment contracts are said to have included provisions to that effect. Investors are reportedly considering legal action.
Medipresso was founded in 2016 by Kim after he left his job at SK Hynix. The startup built its market pitch around capsule-format products that brew traditional Korean teas like coffee. Kim is said to have raised a cumulative 7 billion won in investment on the strength of that concept.
The company's financials, however, told a different story. According to food industry statistics from the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation, Medipresso's sales grew from 1.18 billion won in 2021 to 3.474 billion won in 2024 — a several-fold increase, but far short of the 17.5 billion won sales target the company had set for 2025 during its crowdfunding campaign.
Operating losses piled up every year over the four-year period: 1.464 billion won in 2021, 893 million won in 2022, 184 million won in 2023 and 607 million won in 2024, totaling more than 3 billion won in cumulative operating losses.
Net profit was in the red for three of those four years as well, with only a 4 million won surplus in 2023. The combined net loss for the remaining three years came to nearly 1.5 billion won.
During his time on Season 28 of "Naneun Solo," Kim became known for frequently telling female cast members "Let's talk more" — earning him the nickname "Talk King" — and drew attention when he pushed back against a fellow contestant who questioned his memory, declaring, "I'm a company CEO."
paq@heraldcorp.com
