A Popular Third-Generation K-Pop Idol Admits To Facing Financial Hardship, Surprising Netizens With His Vulnerability

While it is easy to assume being a popular celebrity means your life is generally stress-free, this is not the case. Recently, GOT7‘s Yugyeom discussed a difficult period in his life, including his financial difficulties.

GOT7 debuted in 2014, and are one of the many third-generation groups credited with helping to spread K-Pop around the globe. The group were the first K-Pop group to win several distinctions and went on many record-breaking tours.

After leaving JYP Entertainment in 2021, GOT7 have mainly focused on their individual activities, besides their comeback in 2022. Yugyeom was among the first to announce his new agency, signing with AOMG.

While he has not released another EP since his first, Point Of View: U, Yugyeom recently dropped another single album and has been doing activities all the while.

He recently sat down with YouTuber Draw Andrew for a special conversation, where he talked about a hard time he went through.

Yugyeom began by explaining that he is usually a very positive person who never believed he would fall into slumps but admits he had moments of mental exhaustion.

“I think of myself as a very positive person. I’ve always seen myself that way in the past, and I thought so until recently. I thought I would never let any kind of stress or obstacles get in my head. For the rest of my life, too. I didn’t think I’d ever be affected.But then, I fell into a period of slump, too. I did have my moments of mental exhaustion.”

— Yugyeom

The time he is speaking about was when COVID-19 broke out, revealing that he had the least amount of individual schedules. Despite this, he was still the breadwinner of his family and says this was when it got difficult for him financially as well.

I was active with GOT7 at the time. And among all the members, I had the least amount of individual promotions going. I didn’t have a packed schedule or anything. But back home, I was still the breadwinner for my family. I think that’s when it got a bit difficult for me, financially.Especially since all the performances got canceled, too.

— Yugyeom

Yugyeom was able to work through these difficulties by focusing on music, filling his time with songwriting, and creating choreographies.

I felt so uneasy, not doing anything. I kept thinking to myself, “I should be working harder and doing literally anything.” So I started focusing on making music. I basically stayed in my room all day, making songs every day. And I contacted the hyungs I used to know from the dance academy that I went to when I was in my first year of high school. We got together again, made choreographies, and practiced.

— Yugyeom

Yugyeom’s openness about his difficult time resounded with many who watched the clip, leading them to praise him for his vulnerability.

R E S P E C T !
Thank you, Yugyeom for your vulnerability in sharing all that. Thank you for all the music you’ve released thus far. We all have our own pace! 🥹🥳 https://t.co/zCPOyzJrnQ

— izza 💚 pls support pinned twt! (@gr8fullycre8ing) August 19, 2023

🥺 yugyeom doesn't always share things like this.. i feel good to know that he feels fine talking about it bc i want us and other people to know that he's always striving and trying his best too 🥺❤️ https://t.co/IEIC6bKZa4

— rin 🪄 (@the7sbabybird) August 18, 2023

look at where all the hard work and those pandemic songs led you to today 🥹 so so so proud of you yugyeom!!! thank you for sharing this and glad you opened up to us all 🫂 https://t.co/0OIFDJPvEA

— 🌼 (@whenufalll) August 19, 2023