Lee Joon turns out to be a gym CEO: 'My staff calls me the figurehead boss'

Singer and actor Lee Joon has given fans a glimpse into his life as the CEO of a gym.

The episode of ENA's entertainment program "Nidon Naesan" that aired Sunday featured a day in Lee's life.

Lee left home dressed casually, grabbed a quick breakfast at a convenience store — a banana, a cream bun and a protein drink — then headed to work at a gym in Pangyo.

Upon seeing the sprawling facility, cast member Kim Sook asked whether it was Lee's gym. "It's not mine alone — I co-run it," he explained.

The other cast members marveled at the scale of the place, remarking that it was "no small neighborhood gym" and wondering aloud how many treadmills there were. Lee beamed with pride, saying it was probably the biggest in the area.

Earlier, Lee had appeared on MBC's "Jeonjijeokin Chamgyeon Sijeom" and shown a similar side of himself, cleaning treadmills and doing laundry at the gym he co-manages.

Lee then drew laughs by describing himself as a "figurehead boss." "I may be a figurehead, but I am still the boss," he quipped. "My staff calls me the figurehead boss."

Kim Sook said she had no idea he owned something like this given how modestly he goes about his daily life. "That's genuinely impressive," she added.

Lee pushed back on his reputation for being tight with money, though he acknowledged there was some truth to it. "In everyday life, I really don't have much to spend on," he said. "Just meals and the occasional beer. My water bill comes to about 3,000 to 4,000 won ($2 to $3)."