6 Of Korea’s Most Famous Celebrities Who Lived In Poverty When They Were Younger

Famous celebrities live the lives that most people dream of living one day, but some of these celebrities experienced a completely different lifestyle before they became successful. Here are a few celebrities whose lives have changed drastically since their success.

1. IU

IU grew up in a financially stable family until her parents developed issues with their debt. She was eventually separated from her parents and grew up with her grandmother in a single room that often had cockroaches creeping up on them at night. In the winter, they couldn’t afford to turn on the heater and would often make a meal out of potatoes that her grandmother received from the market.

In the end, she moved into a relative’s house only to be criticized for wanting to be a singer rather than using her time to study. After hearing these insults, she was determined to succeed but things didn’t go her way and she was rejected in her auditions multiple times before she debuted. Even after her debut, things didn’t get much better. She then got an offer to appear on television if she paid money, so her grandmother even sold her jewelry to pitch in for this appearance, but it turned out to be a fraud.

IU continues to hold these memories close to her heart as they helped her become the star she is today. Since her success, she has bought her father his dream car that cost $130,000 USD and still continues to confide in her grandmother when she has any concerns.

2. Park Bo Gum

Park Bo Gum, who has is becoming increasingly more popular and famous, had a very difficult past starting with losing his mother at a very young age. His mother past away from when he was only in 4th grade.

He broke the hearts of viewers watching Youth Over Flowers when he cried talking about his mother.

Moreover, he had filed for bankruptcy when he was just 22 years old. His father borrowed approximately $280,000 USD from a lender back in 2008 and had registered Park Bo Gum as a guarantor at the time. Then as Park Bo Gum began earning money since his debut, he received demands to repay the debt, which had become $750,000 USD due to the high interest rate. Eventually, Park Bo Gum filed for bankruptcy in 2014 but later resolved the issue through negotiation.

3. Dok2

Dok2’s family owned a big restaurant in Busan but went bankrupt when Dok2 was in elementary school. Since then, he moved with his brother to Seoul and is said to have lived in a tiny room eating ramen with just water in it. He mentioned on a television show while eating jajangmyeon (a relatively cheap dish) that it was his dream to eat the dish in his youth when he was poor and that he had achieved his dream.

Dok2 has now achieved much more than his dream of eating jajangmyeon. He now lives in a 4625-square-foot penthouse with multiple luxurious cars and is truly living a life of luxury.

4. Yoo Jae Suk

Yoo Jae Suk, one of the most famous Korean MCs of all time, has also had a difficult childhood after his family’s financial situation took a turn for the worse when he was in elementary school. His father’s business had accumulated a debt of approximately $1.8 million USD.

Yoo Jae Suk also went unnoticed by the public for a very long time since his debut until he slowly began gaining more popularity. He confessed in this video that it took him nearly 10 years for people to start recognizing him and confessed that he wanted to give up many times when he saw his colleagues gain more and more recognition while he didn’t even appear on TV. However, this difficult time period is what seems to have kept Yoo Jae Suk humble even after he became extremely successful.

5. Rain

When rain was in high school, he worked at construction sites during early mornings to help pay for medicine for his ill mother but wasn’t able to buy the medicine in time and eventually lost his mother to the illness. After his mother passed away, he came back home devastated when he found a letter and a bankbook left by his mother. Knowing that she would soon pass, his mother had endured her illness without any painkillers to save up for his son who would be left alone after her passing.

Since then, Rain has done his best to prove himself and has succeeded with assets that are currently estimated to be over $40 million USD. In addition, he now has made a family of his own with his beautiful wife, Kim Tae Hee, and their two daughters.

6. Lee Hyori

Lee Hyori’s family of 6 used to live in a 280-square-foot barbershop that didn’t even have a restroom. Lee Hyori’s biggest goal at the time was to buy a house for herself and her family to live in. She never had the chance to wear a new piece of clothing in her family’s situation and had to abide by her father’s strict rules. For instance, if she was even a little picky about eating side dishes at home, her father would turn the table over on the spot. Lee Hyori had confessed that during those times, she disliked everything about her life from eating to going to the restroom due to all of her father’s rules.

Lee Hyori also revealed that seeing her father as she grew up made her change her mind about her future husband (at the time). Since marrying her husband Lee Sang Soon, the couple showed off their loving and happy marriage life on their own show Hyori’s Bed and Breakfast.