Former “Produce X 101” Trainee Confesses Trying To “End It All” After Wrongful Elimination
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Kim Kook Heon, a former member of the boy group MYTEEN, gained significant popularity in 2019 when he joined Mnet’s survival audition show, Produce X 101, after his group disbanded after a short run. But the show that was supposed to be his second chance at a dream career ended up pushing him into deep despair.
Kim was recently spotted on ENA’s new variety show, Chef Paik & Les Miserables, where he candidly talked about his past struggles and current circumstances. He introduced himself as the “former failed idol and current 28-year-old unemployed Kim Kook Heon,” drawing a mixed reaction of laughter and sadness.
Kim, who debuted in 2017 with MYTEEN, later became one of the most well-known faces on Mnet’s Produce X 101, owing to his striking visuals, strong physical appearance, and impressive skills. After maintaining high rankings throughout the show, he made it to the finals but was eliminated, much to the shock of viewers.
A year after the survival show aired, in 2020, the Produce 101 series got embroiled in the infamous voting manipulation controversy, and Kim was revealed to be one of its victims. As it turned out, he wasn’t eliminated due to lacking any skills but simply because the voting results were deliberately skewed by the production.
On Chef Paik & Les Miserables, Kim admitted that the unfair elimination had caused him severe distress, so much so that he tried jumping off a running car on a highway.
I opened the car door on the highway, ready to jump. It’s such a painful memory from a time when I really wanted to end it all. I made a foolish choice back then.
— Kim Kook Heon
Kim said that during this disturbing period of his life, he found hope in an advertisement featuring chef Paik Jong Won, where he spoke about something called “life reset.” The phrase spoke to Kim and helped him reignite his passion. Eventually, he went full circle and appeared on Chef Paik & Les Miserables, where 20 contestants take on cooking challenges under Chef Baek’s guidance in hopes of changing the course of their lives.
