Popular Idol-Turned-Actor Confesses He Was Bullied During Trainee Days
Park Hyung Sik, the popular idol-turned-actor, recently opened up about the difficult experiences he faced as a trainee before his debut. The star recently appeared on You Quiz on the Block , where he shared how his early days in the entertainment industry were marked by bullying and isolation.
Park Hyung Sik revealed that when he first entered the entertainment world, he had little interest in it and did not have dreams of becoming an idol. His journey into the music industry began unexpectedly when he joined a middle school band, where he eventually won an award and received a casting offer that would change his life.
At first, I had no dreams of entering the entertainment industry. I thought it was a completely different world from mine.
In middle school, I joined the band club because I knew how to sing. We entered a competition, and while I won an award, I also received a casting card, and that’s how it all began.
— Park Hyung Sik
However, his time as a trainee was not as smooth as it may have seemed. Park admitted that, as one of the new trainees, he was often misunderstood by his fellow trainees, who had come from more traditional routes like auditions. As a result, Park found himself isolated and focused on perfecting his skills.
Before joining ZE:A, I briefly stayed at another company that had cast me in the band competition. At that time, there were other trainees who came in through auditions, so I probably looked like a ‘nepo-trainee’ to them. As a result, the other trainees kept their distance from me. I thought trainee life was all about competition, picking sides, and bullying. I decided to focus on doing well on my own. In the end, it’s all about proving yourself with skill, so I got used to practicing alone.
— Park Hyung Sik
Things began to change when he joined ZE:A’s company and his fellow members began to offer more support. He remembered how they helped him transition from isolation to a warmer environment.
I didn’t even eat and spent all my time practicing ballads in a small room. One of the older members would say, ‘Why are you doing this by yourself? Let’s eat first,’ and they started bringing me out. The ZE:A members brought me from the dark into the light, from a room that smelled like mold in the basement. We ate together and joked around, and I remember gradually opening up again.
— Park Hyung Sik
Unfortunately, the star’s experience was made even more difficult by the demanding conditions of trainee life. With ZE:A’s tight-knit group, he shared a small room and lived under tough circumstances.
We had it really tough back then. All nine members had to fit into one car. If the leader sat in the passenger seat, the other eight would sit in the back, in order of age.
We lived in one room with two bunk beds and shared one bathroom among nine people. But that was the norm for groups with a lot of members. We woke up 2 hours earlier, and Dongjun and I would wash first. When it was the next member’s turn, we’d wake them up, but it took them so long to wash, so Dongjun and I would go back to sleep.
— Park Hyung Sik
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Reflecting on his journey to becoming an actor, Park admitted that despite his success, it wasn’t always easy.
I didn’t major in acting, and I learned on the job, so there were many things I was lacking. From a young age, I heard people tell me, ‘You have no talent,’ and even though I knew it was true, my ears would turn red and my hands would shake, but I still wanted to do well.
— Park Hyung Sik
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Park Hyung Sik’s story is similar to many others who started their entertainment careers through K-Pop’s rough trainee programs. However — despite the bullying and difficult conditions — he focused on his growth and stayed determined to succeed.
