[Full Text Published] Former Professional Golfer Ahn Shin-ae: “This Time, I’ll Captivate You All as the ‘Sexy President’!”

Moving on to a Second Career After Retirement

“Golf is no longer my number one ‘business.’ That’s because, through meeting all kinds of people and listening to their voices, I’ve found something new I want to do.”

Female golfer Ahn Shin-ae (35), who gained popularity as the “Sexy Queen” thanks to her miniskirts, form-fitting outfits, and outstanding figure, gave the author a mischievous smile. She claimed three victories—including a major—on the Korean Tour and had been competing on the Japan Tour since 2017.Two years have passed since she retired from professional golf in September 2024—and the career she chose for her second act was an unexpected one.

“I launched the skincare brand ‘MERBEI’ and am ‘playing’ the role of CEO. During my playing days, I used to think about sunscreen and cosmetics, ‘I could make something better myself.’ After all, I was often ‘on display’ (laughs). I’d always wanted to run my own business, and since I was going to do it, I wanted to do something I loved, so I jumped into the beauty industry.”

She began preparing to establish the company immediately after her retirement. At the same time, she was caring for her father, who was battling cancer; he passed away last May. After spending days tending to her grieving mother, she says she wasn’t able to focus fully on her business until earlier this year.

“People often ask me, ‘Do you have a patron?’ but I raised the startup capital from my earnings as a player, including prize money. Not only do I handle product development, but I also visit the factory to check the scents and ingredients myself. I studied from scratch to create skincare products that I would genuinely want to use myself.”

It’s been just over a year since she launched the brand. When asked about sales, instead of answering, she said with a smile, “Why is this so hard? (laughs).” On the golf course, she could rely solely on her own skills, but in business, she can’t move forward without the help of others.

“I guess I’m not very good at romance.”

“Up until now, I’ve lived in a world where I believed that if I practiced hard enough, I could make money. My only opponent was always myself. But you can’t run a business alone. My days are spent seeking advice from many people, delegating tasks, and doing sales to promote my products.
As a CEO, I’m still very much an ‘amateur.’ Can I become a pro from here on out? To put it another way, I don’t know if I can become a legend like Shin Ji-ae Onni (Korean for ‘older sister’), who won 30 titles on the Japan Tour. That’s exactly why it’s worth taking on the challenge.”

Everything is a first-time experience. She gains a lot from it, and as she says, “I feel like I’m finally learning about ‘life,’” Ahn Shin-ae’s eyes shone just as brightly as they did during her playing days.

Ahn Shin-ae is working hard, having traded her golf clubs for cosmetics. Have there been any changes in her personal life? Although she spoke of her desire to marry when she retired, she gave a wry smile when asked about a partner.

“It seems I’m good at golf but bad at romance (laughs). Including my playing days, I’ve traveled to many countries. I’d meet people while traveling and think, ‘If I find a good person, maybe I could get married,’ but it never worked out. Honestly, I was supposed to have one or two kids by now (laughs).”

Although she said this jokingly, she remained optimistic, adding, “I hope I’ll meet someone like that someday.”

Her approach to golf has also changed significantly.

“I haven’t been to the driving range even once. The exercise equipment at home is gathering dust. In July and August, I only played one round each month.
As for my driver distance, I used to hit about 230 yards when I was still playing, but now it’s around 200 yards. Even so, I can still shoot even or under par!”

With both her love life and golf taking a back seat, she seems to be throwing herself into her work right now. Driven by her desire to expand her brand into Japan, she opened limited-time pop-up stores in Fukuoka and Osaka earlier this year. She says she plans to expand her sales channels to Tokyo in the future. She’s also been traveling back and forth between Japan and South Korea more frequently, including visits to Japan for filming golf-related TV shows.

We asked her—who is making strides not as a “Sexy Queen” but as a “Sexy President”—about her future ambitions.

“That nickname makes me blush (laughs). I absolutely love Japan. Even fans I haven’t seen in a while always give me words of encouragement that really lift my spirits.
I’ve been running around the Imperial Palace every time I visit Japan—even before I started my Japan tour—and I still do it today.I also have plenty of favorite restaurants. I have my regular spots, like the Chinese restaurant ‘Toryu’ in Azabu-Juban and the shabu-shabu restaurant ‘Zakuro’ in Ginza. If I can once again captivate everyone in Japan as the ‘Sexy President,’ I think that would make me very happy.”

In the next round of my life, I’ll keep moving forward one step at a time, at my own pace.

From the November 6, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*