G-Dragon and Chef Ahn Sung-jae Reflect on Their Journeys on Good Day
On the March 9 episode of MBC's Good Day (굿데이), chef Ahn Sung-jae shared his inspiring journey with G-Dragon. Ahn, who began his culinary career at the age of 24, recounted how he was motivated by a head chef who received his first Michelin star at 32. "I thought I needed to achieve that before him," Ahn said, explaining that he became a head chef at 30, opened his own restaurant at 34, and earned a Michelin star just a year later at 35. He emphasized the importance of learning from the best in the industry, stating, "When I asked who the top was, I sought them out and worked hard to learn everything. I think that helped me progress faster than others."
Defconn, a fellow guest, inquired about Ahn's early experiences, to which Ahn admitted, "I did two years of mopping floors. It's not easy to commit to that for two years, but that time laid the foundation for everything I do now."
In a surprising revelation, G-Dragon shared that he trained for 11 years before debuting, which astonished Ahn. "I spent five years at SM and six years at YG, back when the concept of trainees was still developing. We had no salary. We would go to school, change clothes, clean, and learn while trying not to disturb our seniors during their practice. We practiced in hidden corners, thinking, 'You never know what could happen,'" he recalled.
