After 26 prolific years as one of Korean television’s most familiar faces, comedian-turned-show-host Ahn Sun-young has packed up her life—and her 10-year-old son’s hockey gear—for Canada. The surprise announcement came on 4 July in a YouTube video pointedly titled “I’m leaving Korea now.”
A glittering career put on hold
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Debuted: 2000 MBC 11th open-call comedian class
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Nicknamed: “Queen of Live Home-Shopping” for driving a ₩1 trillion (≈ US$730 million) cumulative sales record as a host.
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Roles: Variety-show MC, panelist, actor, and entrepreneur.
In her farewell video, Ahn reflected on “26 years since debut, 8 years as a founder, and 10 years as a mom,” admitting she was “at the peak of my live-broadcast career” before deciding to step away.
The catalyst: a boy, a puck, and a Canadian dream
Ahn’s son, Seo Baro, recently cracked the roster of an elite Canadian youth ice hockey program that accepted only 13 players out of thousands of local hopefuls. When the try-out results came, mother and son faced a stark bargain: keep Korea’s cameras rolling, or chase a rink-side future abroad.
“Hockey can be played in Korea, but Mom may never broadcast again if she leaves,”
she told him during a year-long family debate. The 10-year-old’s reply—
“It’s my life; if you can’t come, I’ll board alone”—sealed her decision. donga.com
Reinventing herself as a “digital nomad”
Far from planning a quiet retirement, Ahn says the move is a pivot, not an exit. She intends to rebuild her livelihood online as a rookie YouTuber focused on real-time sales and lifestyle content, leveraging the same quick-witted patter that made her a broadcast staple back home.
Why the story resonates
Ahn joins a growing list of Korean entertainers relocating for family or career-flexibility reasons, reflecting two broader shifts:
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Globalized childhood ambitions — From ice hockey to STEM, Korean parents increasingly migrate so children can access niche programs unavailable at home.
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Portable celebrity brands — Digital platforms now let on-air personalities monetize content without a fixed studio, making such relocations professionally survivable.
What’s next?
Settling in the Greater Toronto Area, Ahn will juggle immigration paperwork, rink commutes, and a brand-new content calendar. Her first Canada-shot vlog is expected later this month; industry insiders will be watching to see whether the “queen of live selling” can translate her sales magic across borders and bandwidths.
If her track record—and her son’s stick-handling—are any indication, the second act could be just as compelling as the first.
