“I Didn’t Know That Commercial Was Going to Catch On”
—Chun and Jhoon Rhee
Jhoon Rhee, 83, opened his first tae kwon do school in DC in 1962. By the 1970s—thanks to his memorable “Nobody bothers me” commercials—he had 11 schools. Jhoon’s son, Chun—the boy who winks at the end of the ad and says, “Nobody bothers me, either!”—is 48 and owns Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do in Falls Church.
Chun: “I was five; my sister was four. It was not planned we were going to be in the commercial. We happened to be with my dad, and the student filming it said, ‘Let’s have the kids in it.’ I remember standing on a milk crate and saying my line. Later, we’d come home from school and watch cartoons—‘Speed Racer,’ ‘Ultraman.’ The commercial would come on and I’d say, ‘Look, I’m on TV.’ I thought everyone age five was on TV.”
Sherri Dalphonse joined Washingtonian in 1986. She is the editor in charge of such consumer topics as travel, fitness, health, finance, and beauty, as well as the editor who handles such cover stories as Great Places to Work, Best of Washington, Day Trips, Hidden Gems, Top Doctors, and Great Small Towns. She lives in DC.
You Must Remember…Chun and Jhoon Rhee
"Nobody bothers me."
“I Didn’t Know That Commercial Was Going to Catch On”
—Chun and Jhoon Rhee
Jhoon Rhee, 83, opened his first tae kwon do school in DC in 1962. By the 1970s—thanks to his memorable “Nobody bothers me” commercials—he had 11 schools. Jhoon’s son, Chun—the boy who winks at the end of the ad and says, “Nobody bothers me, either!”—is 48 and owns Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do in Falls Church.
Chun: “I was five; my sister was four. It was not planned we were going to be in the commercial. We happened to be with my dad, and the student filming it said, ‘Let’s have the kids in it.’ I remember standing on a milk crate and saying my line. Later, we’d come home from school and watch cartoons—‘Speed Racer,’ ‘Ultraman.’ The commercial would come on and I’d say, ‘Look, I’m on TV.’ I thought everyone age five was on TV.”
Sherri Dalphonse joined Washingtonian in 1986. She is the editor in charge of such consumer topics as travel, fitness, health, finance, and beauty, as well as the editor who handles such cover stories as Great Places to Work, Best of Washington, Day Trips, Hidden Gems, Top Doctors, and Great Small Towns. She lives in DC.
Most Popular in News & Politics
2022 Tech Titans
The Untold Story of the White House’s Weirdly Hip Record Collection
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People
7 Things to Know About Karine Jean-Pierre, the New White House Press Secretary
Blossom Alert: the Peonies at Seneca Creek State Park Will Be at Peak Soon
Washingtonian Magazine
May 2022: Fantastic Foodie Getaways
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
A Johnny Cash Statue Is Coming to the Capitol
LGBTQ Pioneer Barney Frank’s Story Is Now a Graphic Novel
Inside the Effort to Revamp the DC Archives
This DC Poet Was Once the USSR’s Biggest Kid Actor
More from News & Politics
The Hill’s Newsroom Petitions to Unionize
2022 Tech Titans
A Johnny Cash Statue Is Coming to the Capitol
7 Things to Know About Karine Jean-Pierre, the New White House Press Secretary
PHOTOS: Weekend Pro-Choice Rally and March in DC
Sherri Dalphonse Named Editor of Washingtonian
Blossom Alert: the Peonies at Seneca Creek State Park Will Be at Peak Soon
A Blood Moon and Rainbow: Photos of Last Night’s Spectacular Sky Events in DC