Rising Idol-Turned-Actor Recounts The Terrifying Story Of How He Was Almost Kidnapped By An Old Man
Best known for his lead role as Jang Jae Young in the hit K-Drama Semantic Error, actor Park Seoham‘s road to fame wasn’t easy. He was a former Big Hit Entertainment trainee who left the company and eventually made a successful debut in KNK. But it was while he was a trainee that he experienced one of the most terrifying events of his life.
The idol-turned-actor recounted the hair-raising story in a recent live broadcast. He recalled how his practice ended late one day, and he was feeling downhearted because of his group’s delayed debut.
I think it was right before my debut when I was a trainee. Practice ended really late. At that time, it was really difficult for me. It was when I was a trainee because our debut date was always delayed. I was struggling, so I wasn’t in the best mood.
— Park Seoham
He decided to treat himself to a beanie, so he walked to a trendy district in Seoul while conversing with a close friend on his cellphone.
I have an older hyung best friend whom I am really close to. I talked to that hyung on the phone like this. I was venting about my concern at that time. It was at Garosu-gil District. I was on my phone and I was at the alley. I happened to have visited Around The Corner (a clothing shop in Garosu-gil District) because I decided to splurge on a beanie. A beanie.
— Park Seoham
After making his purchase, he took a seat nearby as he continued talking to his friend about his worries. It was then that a strange car parked in front of him and an old man stepped out, walking straight towards him. He asked Park Seoham if he had gotten off a taxi, which he hesitantly denied.
So I put it in the plastic shopping bag like this. I was sitting down, and I was talking on the phone. I’m doing it like this. But all of a sudden, there was a peculiar looking car that came along, and it stopped. Suddenly, a man came to me. A gray-haired grandfather came out of the car and he asked, ‘Did you just get off a taxi?‘ And I was like, ‘Uhh no, I didn’t ride it.’
— Park Seoham
Unfortunately, the old man didn’t relent and inched closer and closer as he continued to ask about the taxi. Park Seoham instinctively knew that something wasn’t right. Meanwhile, his friend was still on the call.
I was still on call. But suddenly, he moved beside me. He went closer and kept asking if I took a cab. I suddenly felt that the situation was not good. I said to the hyung I was calling, ‘Hyung, wait a minute…‘ but he didn’t hang up.
— Park Seoham
The 20th Century Boy and Girl actor was so terrified, he threw his beanie on the ground and quickly walked away. All of a sudden, the old man brought out a taser and grabbed his arm, trying to tase him. Scared out of his mind, he snatched his arm out of his grip and ran as fast as he could to his dorm. He realized that he was nearly kidnapped and was lucky enough to escape alive.
This old man kept coming to me, I didn’t have a good feeling about it at all, so I threw away my beanie and walked quickly. But that old man kept following me and grabbed my arm. And he tried to use a taser on me. The thing that shocks you, you know? He tried to use that on me, so I got really scared. I snatched my arm out of his grip and I ran away to the dorm.
— Park Seoham
Park Seoham’s friend had heard everything that transpired and worriedly shouted, “Hey! What? What happened to you?” It was such a traumatizing experience that he now no longer goes outside alone.
Finally, he has one piece of advice for everyone listening: Don’t walk around at night because the streets aren’t safe.
The hyung who was on the phone shouted, ‘Hey! What? What happened to you?‘ It was so scary. So everyone, what I want you to do is this. Don’t walk around at night. Everyone, the streets at night are not safe. That’s why I no longer go out alone at night.
— Park Seoham
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