TOKYO (TR) – Former South Korean professional golfer Ahn Shin-ae, 35, famously dubbed the “Sexy Queen” for her revealing outfits on the green, is opening up about her transition to the beauty industry.
In an interview with weekly tabloid Friday (Nov. 6), she forcefully shoots down rumors that a wealthy sugar daddy is bankrolling her new enterprise.
“Golf is no longer my main business,” Ahn said with a mischievous smile. “Through meeting various people and listening to them, I found something new I wanted to pursue.”
Ahn, who amassed three wins on the Korean tour and joined the Japan tour in 2017, consistently turned heads with her signature mini-skirts and tight apparel. Now, two years after stepping away from active competition, she has traded the fairway for the boardroom as the CEO of her own skincare brand, Merbei.
Unsavory whispers
“I am now ‘playing’ as a company president,” she said. “During my active career, I always thought I could make better sunscreens and cosmetics. After all, I had a lot of ‘exposure,'” she joked.
However, her sudden leap into the executive world sparked unsavory whispers.
“People often ask me, ‘Do you have a patron?'” Ahn revealed, referring to rumors of a wealthy financial backer. She firmly denied the gossip, stating that her startup capital was squeezed entirely from her prize money and earnings as a professional athlete.
No figurehead
Insisting she is no figurehead, Ahn emphasized her hands-on approach, personally traveling to factories from scratch to inspect chemical components and fragrances for products she genuinely wants to use.
Behind the scenes of her brand’s launch, Ahn also faced a bitter personal tragedy. She was nursing her father through a grueling battle with cancer while preparing to establish the company. Following his death last May, she spent months supporting her grieving mother before finally being able to fully focus on her business earlier this year.
“Business cannot be done alone”
Now roughly a year into the launch of her brand, the former golf star admits she is feeling the corporate grind. Asked about sales, she simply laughed and replied, “Why is this so difficult?”
“In the past, I lived in a world where practicing hard meant earning money, and the only opponent was myself,” Ahn explained. “But business cannot be done alone. I spend my days asking for advice, delegating tasks, and doing sales pitches to move products.”
Calling herself an “amateur” as a president, she remains as ambitious as ever.
“I don’t know if I can turn pro here, or become a legend with 30 wins on the Japan tour like Jiyai Shin,” she said. “But that’s exactly why it’s a challenge worth taking.”