6 Korean Celebrities with Difficult Childhood & Successful Now

Success comes after a hard work is indeed true. These successful Korean celebrities, like Park Bo Gum and Lee Hyori, had once had difficult childhood which makes them even stronger.

The extravagant lives of celebrities often have our heads rolling. We wish to live that life and experience the luxuries that celebrities do. The glitz and glamour, the luxurious apartments, and uber-cool vehicles sometimes make us a little envious.

However, the truth is that celebrities, like all of us, are common people too, and it takes them a lot of extra hard work and effort to become who they are. It was not always glamourous for them either. Some of the most popular Korean celebrities had difficult childhood. They started small and slowly climbed up the ladder so they could afford all the luxury that we see today.

This article takes you down memory lane and will help you understand your favorite Korean stars a little better. Here’s a list of 6 stars that did not always have it easy, who worked their way up, really hard, to become popular stars in the Korean entertainment industry.

Table of Contents

6 Korean Celebrities with Difficult Childhood

Park Bo Gum

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Park Bo Gum, one of the most popular stars in the Korean entertainment industry, had a difficult childhood. He lost his mother at a very young age. He spoke about the same at Youth Over Flowers and brought tears to millions of his fans.

That’s not it though, at the age of 22, Park Bo Gum had filed for bankruptcy. As per reports, his father had earlier borrowed US$280,000 from a bank and registered him as the guarantor in 2008. Once Park started earning, he received calls asking for repayment of that amount which by then had increased to US$750,000 with the interest rate. Park then filed for bankruptcy and dusted off this mess behind in 2014. His difficulties made him stronger, and today he is one of the most successful Korean celebrities.

IU

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For IU, one of the most famous Korean Entertainment industry celebrities, it was all well and good until her parents developed issues due to their debts. She had to then shift with her grandmother and grow up with her. It was not easy. Her room often had cockroaches creeping in, they could not afford a heater, and their meals were mainly of potatoes alone.

Eventually, she then moved in with her relatives, but even there, it was no cakewalk, for she was constantly criticized for her singing. These insults and harsh life made her stronger, and she was determined to succeed. Even though she was rejected a couple of times in auditions, she did not give up. Her sufferings did not end though, even after her debut, she was cheated and asked money to appear on television. Her grandmother had even sold jewelry for her to be a part of this show. Things are much better now, and we could not be happier for her.

Dok2

When Dok2 was in elementary school, his family business went bankrupt. That’s when troubles began. He moved to Seoul with his brother and lived in a one-room apartment. They often only had enough money for ramen and water. He once mentioned in a show that when he ate jajangmyeon (a relatively cheap dish), Dok2 felt elated and thought his dreams were fulfilled because he would crave the same when he was younger.

Today, Dok2 has come a long way and achieved immense popularity. Today, he lives in a luxurious 4625-square-foot penthouse and owns a couple of luxury cars. We hope he continues to work more and achieve more success as he climbs up the Korean entertainment industry ladder.

Rain

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One of the most loved stars, Rain, had to work at a construction site during early mornings when he was in high school. His mother was ill while he was growing up, and hence he had to earn while he studied to pay for her medicines. Despite all efforts, though, his mother succumbed to the illness.

After his mother’s demise, he was devastated and all the more when he realized that his mother had left behind a letter and bankbook. His mother had long realized that she would not be able to make it, and hence she saved the money for the medicines and left it for Rain.

However, Rain rose above his sufferings and proved himself one of the most sought-after stars in the Korean entertainment industry today. He is currently estimated to earn over US$40 million. He also has two lovely daughters and a beautiful wife. A great example of changing your own fate, right?

Yoo Jae Seok

One of the most popular MCs of all time, Yoo Jae Seok, also had a difficult past. His family’s financial condition experienced severity when he was in elementary school. His family business had a debt of US$1.8 million approximately, and that made it extremely difficult.

Even after his debut, Yoo Jae Seok was missing from the public eye for a long time. He, later on, confessed that he had plans of leaving the show business because he thought he was not good enough for it, especially after seeing his colleagues succeed. However, he kept holding on and has today become one of the successful Korean MCs.

Lee Hyori

Lee Hyori spent her childhood growing up in a 280-square-foot barbershop. She said that her biggest aim was to buy a house of her own so she and other family members could live happily. Her childhood was tough, and she never even wore new clothes growing up. She once mentioned that her family could not afford the luxury of being picky, and they had to make do with all they had.

Lee once said that at that point, she spent a huge time cursing her life. Her father’s strict rules often made it worse for her and gave her clarity on who her husband should not be. However, she worked hard and changed the course of her life. She is now happily married to Lee Sang Soon, the same was on-screen on their show, Hyori’s Bed and Breakfast.

It’s definitely not been a cakewalk for these stars, but they have worked hard and changed their life for good. These successful Korean celebrities have proven no matter how difficult your childhood is, with hard work and persistence, you will find a brighter future. We hope they continue to enjoy their success and continue to entertain us!