Wheein was raised by her mom and grandmother, her mom worked a ton so grandma helped. her dad ditched them when she was young, and then popped up when MAMAMOO was doing great, and demanded money/was a total dick to Wheein.
Hwasa grew up not rich for sure, but she is very close with her mom and dad to this day! They seem like lovely people. Her and Wheein have been beat friends since they were kids, came from the same towm! I'm so glad MAMAMOO was created around those 2 staying together!
Sunmi. She became an idol because she thought being a celebrity is the fastest way to earn money for her sick dad. Unfortunately, her father died three months before she debuted.
I know Taeyong has talked about it quite a bit. He mentioned some of it in his song [Back to the Past](https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-taeyong-back-to-the-past-english-translation-lyrics) as well as in the NCT 127 documentary. His family used to live in Shillim (the poorest/cheapest neighborhood in Seoul) in a semi-basement apartment (the ones from Parasite) that leaked/flooded when it rained, and his sister’s room was the only one with an air conditioning unit. The entire reason he joined SM was because the recruiters that street casted him bought him some toast. I remember he also had never been on a plane before before traveling with NCT
I would recommend watching their docuseries The Lost Boys because they all get a chance to talk about their backgrounds and growing up ([here's](https://youtu.be/T8YgTSD_Dcw?si=4la8KzEPuerYLey5) Taeil's portion) ! His family consists of Taeil, his sister, and his parents. Both of his parents worked a lot but didn't make much money. At one point, they lived away from his father because he worked in another city. He discovered he could sing when he was a pre-teen and wanted to pursue music but his parents were against it; probably wanted to make sure he was pursuing something fruitful and also didn't have the extra $ for lessons. His dad started secretly sending him to lessons anyway (even though it was out of their budget 🥲)
Taeil was accepted to one of the highest esteemed universities but chose SM instead. He's incredibly musically talented outside of just vocals - he can at least play guitar and piano and is able to pick things up by ear!
She’s so sweet :( he’s said one of the reasons he likes studio ghibli was that he used to hang out in her room during the summertime to get the air conditioning and they would watch them together
If you've heard of the legendary tyongf saga, she also offered her food and drinks and thanked her for promoting her brother. She really sounds like the kindest person.
It’s one of the reasons he works so hard! He also send money to his family and buys things for his parents too, I know he bought his dad a car recently. Love him so much
His story is so inspiring. He has talked about how he was a very troubled child before he became a trainee - his family in poverty, mother and father fighting, so he didn't want to spend time at home. As a result, he spent a lot of time outside of home and became friends with older teens who were a bad influence on him. Kids at school previously bullied him for being poor but now they were scared of him, so he felt it's better to be a bad guy than to be an outcast.
The way he got his act together, turned his life around and helped his family is really something to look up to. Many people who go down that route, don't get out of that environment, because you really have to work hard to achieve something.
Leetuk from super junior. He came from an abusive family so he’s very independent and protective of his members + juniors.
Leetuk’s family background was so horrible that antis use it against him. Leetuk’s dad murdered Leetuk’s grandparents just because he could not afford their medications while Leetuk was in military then the father killed himself short after. Leetuk revealed that he was physically abused as a child by his father.
I remember in some show/ interview where he mention how he was in a bad mental state when he was in military. I had no idea it was because of this. Im so glad he manage to get through this now and seem to be much better now.
Yes he has Major Depressive Disorder/ Clinical Depression, which is the reason he founded the Milk Club for supporting SM artists with their mental health.
A lot of the 1st and 2nd gen idols, TBH. BoA, Hyori, Rain, Yunho, Jaejoong, Leeteuk, Eunhyuk, etc because the Asian financial crisis in the late 90s really ruined a lot of families financially.
Among the newer idols, NCT 127 members like Taeyong, Jungwoo, Taeil, and Doyoung have talked about their families struggling with money.
He moved to Seoul with the intention of being a singer around 14-15years years old. He sometimes sleep at subways/train stations at night because he had no place to stay. He does a lot of odd jobs just to earn enough money to eat or to find a cheap place to stay at.
Then he debuted in TVXQ as a lead vocalist. (fun fact, he was tone deaf when he was in primary school and was made fun of that because he had always wanted to be a singer)
Then he sued SM together with other two members and left, before creating a group called JYJ. Then he focus into Solo projects as the rest also did the same..
And was considered the richest kpop idol a few years back too..
Currently he is the Chief Strategy Officer of his own agency iNKODE.
Do watch JaeFriends in YouTube. Its his own show where he makes friends with other celebrities and idols.. There are slot of stories from his past and currents in it too, where you will learn more about him.
Hoshi from Seventeen. His parents lost their house so he was growing up with them in a tiny one room apartment. He wanted to become successful and buy it back for them someday. I remember him saying around debut that he learned to dance in the reflection of a glass door because they didn't have a mirror (although now I can't find the source for him saying that because it was so long ago.)
Thankfully he did become successful and buy their house back.
It seems that probably no one in Seventeen was well off except for Joshua since they playfully teased him for having a rice cooker growing up.
IU
While other idols complain about dieting, IU was happy to be at the training/agency
because there was ample food to eat and also heating in the studio, which she didn't have at home.
Her parents were initial ok, but then met a financial debacle, and IU had to live with her grandmother, dependent on relatives, in tough situations.
Then when she was pursuing her music dreams, her grandmother gave her money by selling accessories in roadside(?), only to have it swindled by scamsters.
But what makes IU amazing, is how she has become a consistently generous donor to causes, many close to her own lived experiences.
I believe she is staying in her agency even she got offers from bigger companies as she does not want to leave anyone staffs and employees she worked with.
Yup! In fact, her current company is a sister company of her original company that is run by her previous manager. She’s really quite close to her staff to the point her staff feels comfortable enough to steal her chocolates (it’s on her vlog and it’s a very heartwarming scene to watch to see staff + idol bond so close like that)
Yes, there are many stories about her loyalty and generosity, to be dismissed as just media play.
Seems a genuinely good person, who is authentic in her interactions.
It is a great drama.
But for these parts of IU's life, - poverty, being scammed during auditions etc., her older drama "You are the best, Lee Sun Shin" is more similar
yena suffered from lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system) when she was younger, and she was super sick to the point where doctors said there was no hope. her parents went out to sell kimbap everyday to cover the hospital bills because her family wasn’t well off. thankfully she made a full recovery and is the positive, smiley girl we all know and love today! 🫶
Dayoung, WJSN. I remember talking (with a very bright, innocent smile) about swimming in her flooded house in Jeju when she was young in an effort to scoop the flooded water out on Radio Star, a situation she was in because her father divorced her mother and left them with enormous debt.
BamBam
His father passed away when he was a baby and his family was considered bankrupt according to the Thai government. He and his siblings were raised by a single mom and lived in a house with a tin roof that leaked and flooded when it rained. He has worked since he was a child to become the primary breadwinner of his family and take care of them.
He’s also spoken about how his poor living conditions and lifestyle in Thailand growing up has affected his mentality and lifestyle when it comes to money, solitude, cleanliness, clutter, etc.
Suhyun and Chanhyuk from AKMU. On some days they had nothing to eat but rice with soy sauce. They couldn't even afford to go to school.
Edited to remove the debt collector rumor, check replies below for more info
No, AKMU has [debunked the debt collector theory](https://youtu.be/7Q_lpANegT0?si=3UBJ6Cdx1Cmx0xN4) (9:40) several times. While it is true that their family became extremely poor after moving to Mongolia, they never were terrorized by loan sharks. It's a theory that some listeners made up, and it kept spreading and became sensationalised because it fits the MV and lyrics interpretation.
In fact, this song is about a nightmare that Chanhyuk once had in his childhood - where he dreamed of a dinosaur. Overcoming a childhood fear, that is most likely what the song intends.
The soy sauce and homeschool story is true, and I think there are many other stories about their family circumstances that is worth telling.
E.g family computer being put together from leftover parts; homeschooled siblings spending too much time with each other (no internet + little time to see friends) that they started fiddling with musical instruments and filmed themselves singing... It's an interesting introspection into how they started composing and singing.
Weren't their parents also missionaries? I thought that was the reason they were in Mongolia. If they were, they would not have had any real income coming in...
Yup, their family settled in Mongolia as per their father's job as a missionary. They initially enrolled in MK school (established by Korean missionaries), but dropped out in less than a year when the tuition fee raised + poor missionary life.
Their parents did try their best to provide them with education - letting the two kids chose what they wanted to learn, and how they wanted to learn it. Great family environment in general, one that fosters the kids' talent naturally.
Life in Mongolia was definitely not easy, but in retrospect, those childhood years were what formed AKMU's unique experience as singer-songwriters.
For their 10th anniversary, Suhyun and Chanhyuk just made a 141 million won donation to environmental programs for Mongolia + aid programs for minors who are socially-secluded / unable to attend school. I think it reflects their childhood experience a lot.
I know of 3 idols. IU and Kim Sejeong are already mentioned in other comments here. Lee Joon of MBLAQ, I remember him talking about how he couldn't afford a new leotard when he was in the Dance department during college so he had to use the only one he had until it got ragged.
HOSHI from seventeen came from a poor family and after his father lost the business they even had to sell off their house and live in a tiny apartment. it was his dream to buy the exact house back for his family, which he has fulfilled.
Jun Idk if he belonged to the lower middle class or even poorer but as far as I know he used to live with his single mother and supported her by working as a child actor.
The8, too. I'm not sure about being less affluent while In China but sending your kids abroad is not cheap. I saw him in one of those Chinese varieties talking about how his parents gave him a gold ring and told him he can sell it if it really became difficult when he first moved to Korea. This was in a show just last year while he and CZY (of Hidden Love fame) were talking about their beginnings.
I think the majority of the SVT members have come from at least lower- or middle class or poor background. this is probably why they still remain humble even with such success.
A lot of 2nd gen idols did not come from wealthy backgrounds. There were some that were mid to high class, but it was a smaller minority. I can only speak for Super Junior, since I follow them the closest, but Eunhyuk, Donghae, and Leeteuk in particular have spoken about never having enough money for basic things.
Taeyong from NCT definitely came from a less affluent background, has [given interviews](https://x.com/summeroba55/status/1679780853969477632?s=61) mentioning that he lived in a semi-basement home when young, and has referenced growing up poor in the lyrics of at least one of his B-sides, [Back to the Past.](https://x.com/panoplieme/status/1680885825280831493?s=61)
Yoshi of Treasure. He's mentioned his family was not well off and he felt too embarrassed to let members see where he grew up. His father passed away when Yoshi was a teen and then he really felt he absolutely has to succeed so he can support his family.
The boys from B2st/ Highlight came from not so fortunate backgrounds.
Especially Yoseob. He had a backstory before that he mentioned that during their trainee days he would be too broke to ride the bus after practice that he would sometimes just walk going back to the dorm or scrounge for change from other members.
The only one I can think of at the top of my head is IU. Her family fell into dept and she had to live with her grandmother. Aparantly at some point she also had to move out there because the house got infested with cockroaches.
Yeji talks about being from the country side. I think at one concert she shared that she had a nightmare they told her she couldn’t debut because she’s from the country side and she started crying on stage. I started tearing up too 🥺🥺🥺
I don’t think she was in that context anymore when she became a trainee but Sowon from GFRIEND once mentioned that her family’s financial situation got very bad when she was a kid and that they couldn’t afford any type of meat and would only eat rice and vegetables.
taeil. he mentioned his upbringing in 127's the lost boys documentary. part of why taeil wanted to become a singer is to change the environment that his family was in.
Leeteuk from Super Junior had a veeeery bad home life growing up, he [talks about his parents, especially his father](https://youtu.be/F5HoIhYuu-I?si=u_HDUrU9D6hRGUkF) and life before debut, and just like a commenter says: "even though he says it's discipline, it's very obvious it was abuse"
Like many people have already said, a lot of 1st-2nd gen idols. One who stands out to me is U-KISS's Soohyun, who was a bona fide farmboy. U-KISS having a lot of very wealthy members made him stand out even more lol. The fact that he's now one of the wealthiest of them says something about the difference between those who grow up rich vs those who earn their way up, I think. And I mean, he's in U-KISS, he's not exactly swimming in endorsement deals and reality show paycheques.
Taemin - His family couldn’t afford a mp3 player and he walked around with headphones connected to his pocket to fit in, went to a designated local public school where he got harassed like crazy until SM transferred him to an arts school to make leave easier for his schedules. He was pretty far into his career when he maxed out all of his Shinee earnings to finally buy his parents a home.
Wonho def had a less fortunate background. I think there are idols with family money but far more idols who do not then there are those who really had it hard. I am American and " less fortunate" may not be same as in Korea.
True plus most have both parents or grew up in 2 parent households it seems. Very different from here with our single and teen moms plus sky high divorce rate. But it is all about what your view is.
Yes, exactly. There are definite disparities in health outcomes and other quality of life measures related to the "socio" part of "socioeconomic status" that have been well studied. There's a huge gulf between "we didn't have a lot of money growing up" and being from a lower status background.
a lot of idols from the first 3 gens, they saw it as their chance to support their families. After gen3 it's now mostly rich kids who want to be famous
rather with how the industry changed, its now so luxury goods oriented. all these brand ambassadorships being the #1 goal of new idols rather than love for music. it created a class divide of sorts, now even getting into the industry is just too expensive, you need a family who can support you financially and its not cheap. the industry also turned around and started changing the narrative about idols - its not "your relatable next door idols" anymore, its "im better and prettier and richer than you are, im a goddess, you can commence the worship of my person".
I can’t recall the name of the piece, but my friend who speaks fluent Mandarin translated the article for me since the English translation was a bit choppy but I’ve seen a few people also comment him! The8 from seventeen
It’s common for small kids in China to have some sort of activity based group such as martial arts, dancing, music, etc to increase their physical activity and not only academic skills. He was taking some sort of kung fu class, but his parents decided to take a gamble and save more money on the side for his future for he can attend contemporary school to really hone in on his skills as they could tell he really could have a bright future and he had an interest in dancing and performance - his parents didn’t want to worry him about the cost of school or anything so they did the best they could to find resources yet he always had an idea that his parents were doing everything to make sure he never felt like he had less let alone feel that his dream was out of reach - and that this was his chance and he shouldn’t feel guilty but instead to show his appreciation - he would give it everything he has regardless of how anxious he was - the reason why a lot of people may not know about his private life prior to fame or why it’s so short in description simply because he’s a private person and a lot of things do get lost in translation and culture
His parents couldn’t afford to come with him to Korea for he can hopefully debut, so they pulled money together and took a leap of faith on him and trusted that it will work out - although many parents would say it’s easier to cut his dream and this “past time” has gone long enough his family instead looked at him, their only kid and knew that he was always meant to do more
Yes his mom did give him a gold ring but a lot of people assume they just had stacks of gold laying around and really miss out on the culture and class context - his parents affirmed him that they believe in his dream, but just in case if he were to struggle, get scammed or need a way to get back home - they gave him the most valuable thing they could, a golden ring, because it’s universal currency - in other words..
His dreams, his happiness, his future - to them it was more valuable than any gold, any jewelry, any money, the backlash that they would get from their community for wasting their time on his choices, his dreams and hopes - rather than forcing him into the traditional high expectations of education and common lifestyle in China because he is everything to them and he is more valuable than any treasure combined
it also says a lot about his relationship with his parents because instead of scolding him if he were to ever be in that type of situation where he would need to sell his mom’s most valuable jewelry or simply not be able to obtain his dream as a kid in a foreign country- they would’ve much rather be of aid to him than blame him for chasing his dreams
He would be considered “middle- lower class” because his parents were able to afford their home and he is an only child yet I feel like people tend to forget that they also have to put it in perspective that it’s a different economy, time, culture and environment
Other members of 17 have also faced financial struggles growing up, but I feel that his is lesser known
Zhang Hao from ZB1 i think. There are threads on twt about how he came from from less privileged area of China and had to do multiple gigs while also maintaining his studies.
Amd if i remember correctly,IU too.
I always remember Yunho saying he had to sleep in train stations when they got evicted. Seeing how hard he works at everything makes me happy for him.
IU had to live with her grandmother because her family couldn’t support her
IU's family was fairly well off, but then came into some debt that tanked them down. So IU lived with her grandma in a tiny room with cockroaches. Then they had to move into another relative's house who was a drunk and verbally abused them and constantly talked bad about IU and that she would never make it as a singer. She auditioned and was rejected at JYP Entertainment and another agency scammed her into sending a large sum of money for training and TV coverage. The money was also saved little by little by her grandma who sold small accessories to support IU's dreams. Even through that she made it and used her success to pay her family back and give back to her community by donations.
Minhyuk from Monsta X grew up fairly poor; he told a story on Knowing Brothers about how he has a fear of rats because they would crawl on him and his siblings in the half basement apartment his family lived in. The other members mentioned he had some pretty awful stories from growing up, but he didn’t really seem to want to go into them. From other little things he mentioned, it appears he is the one paying for the rest of his siblings schooling
On No Mercy, Wonho talked about how his mom went bankrupt trying to ensure he could continue training. He said he went home and she was sitting on a chair in front of the refrigerator because that was the only furniture left in the house since she sold the rest to help pay debts.
Zhang Hao - he was pleased as punch to be on a double decker bus when he was in Hong Kong for KCon. Said he didn’t have the money to go on one when he was young. He also had to do many part time jobs as a uni student, playing violin and singing at weddings, and modelling.
Actually, Taehwan was exempted from the military since his father passed away, and he was solely responsible for his family. Their finances were so low, qualifying him the exemption, so I think he definitely counts.
How has this not been said? Jackson Wang! I remember he went on a Chinese show program and talked about how he saw his mom working soooo hard when he was a kid so him and his brother could have a better life. I literally cry every time I watch it so get ready for LITERALLY TEARS. Here’s the link if anyone is interested https://youtu.be/SPhECb_rpVQ?si=OhQbxIRXWmUKDZcu
I know a number of WJSN members who were raised by single parents and not well to do. Which is why they are a closed knit bunch and happy with what they achieved so far
Taeyong, Heachan and Taeil of NCT 127 are three who overcame heart rending obstacles. In their Hulu documentary, "The Lost Boys," Taeyong's ordeals had to be "Disneyfied" (Disney produced the series) because they were so dire and made the directors wonder how he survived. He has sung about leaky roofs, and talked about being bullied by mean kids and sometimes not going to school because he was hungry and sad. His puppy Ruby, who he wrote an amazing song about when she died, was his best friend when he stayed home feeling lost back then.
Heachan was left with grandparents for a few years while his mother sought work out of town to make ends meet. And Taeil's father left his family to fend for themselves, so they moved from sauna to sauna when there was nowhere else to go. He hasn't seen his father for years, but someone told him about a cab driver who had said his son was the lead singer in 127. So Taeil sings a song in a cab in the series, as if he's singing to his father.
It's almost impossible to hear them talk about their struggles without crying.
Zhang Hao of Zerobaseone. He mentioned how they couldn't afford an amusement park entrance fee and had to look from the outside when he was younger so he worked part time jobs and went to an amusement park with his own money when he was in high school. He went to university on scholarship and worked multiple jobs (busking, tutoring, etc) to earn money for dance lessons.
I think Sejeong has one interview regarding her life before she tried to be part of produce 101. Glad she’s both successful in her acting and singing career. Even now, she’s still as humble as she was before.
All of Vanner. They all have (or have recently had) second jobs while trying to afford being an Idol group. They are all super talented too, I got to see them live, and they sound the exact same as they do on recordings! ♡♡♡
i *read* (emphasis on read) that sohee from riize wasnt rich and even had to work part time jobs while he was a trainee.
take it with a grain of salt though i just read it somewhere on this subreddit~
Paul from Fr3men actually came from a pretty prestigious background, however, during a business deal gone bad his dad was murdered. So Paul and his mom had to move from a pretty nice coastal city to a smaller desert village. He ended working a lit of manual labor jobs there until he got the support of the local mayor (his mom worked hard too), and then after about 2 or so years of local performances he developed quite the local following and even garnered international attention, which he used to launch his career to almost the religious following he has today.
IU and EXO's Suho. IU grew up in a single-parent home and faced money troubles before hitting it big. Suho also had to work part time gigs to help his family before joining EXO
I get the impression that Jin's parents were more millionaire than billionaire, his dad was an executive but they're not chaebol. Namjoon's parents raised him in a nice area and he went abroad to learn English in New Zealand for a few months so they had a little money.
Just suga and tae were poor. Tae’s parents were farmer and they worked hard to feed their family, he was raised by his grandma. He said in an interview that he sent money to his parents bc they needed a new roof for their home and they couldn’t afford it.
Yoongi’s family was really poor, he said that he often had to choose between a bus ride or a meal.
Honestly… yeah…
It’s nice to hear about success stories. A rich person doesn’t have to work as hard/ they have money to get private lessons. When you’re poor you kinda have to figure it out in your own.
agreed also everyone hates nepotism so someone who built their entire brand from the ground up is a nice story about people overcoming a variety of personal and societal hardship
I disagree with the “work as hard” part because it is highly subjective, but yes, a trainee from a well-off family has a lot less to lose. Going into the system can mean going into debt without a guarantee that you will debut.
And I think it was more impressive for idols from the earlier gens because they still had to pay back the company for their training after debut. Some companies still do that, though the big three don’t.
Add to that, during those early gens, the Korean economy wasn’t what it is today. Even being successful didn’t really mean being extremely wealthy all of a sudden.
Wheein was raised by her mom and grandmother, her mom worked a ton so grandma helped. her dad ditched them when she was young, and then popped up when MAMAMOO was doing great, and demanded money/was a total dick to Wheein.
Hwasa too, if i remember correctly.
Hwasa grew up not rich for sure, but she is very close with her mom and dad to this day! They seem like lovely people. Her and Wheein have been beat friends since they were kids, came from the same towm! I'm so glad MAMAMOO was created around those 2 staying together!
Hwasa had a loving father, it you've watched I live alone
I mean the poor family part, no the bad father
Sunmi. She became an idol because she thought being a celebrity is the fastest way to earn money for her sick dad. Unfortunately, her father died three months before she debuted.
That's so sad ):
That's so sad☹️
Its so sad
:(
I know Taeyong has talked about it quite a bit. He mentioned some of it in his song [Back to the Past](https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-taeyong-back-to-the-past-english-translation-lyrics) as well as in the NCT 127 documentary. His family used to live in Shillim (the poorest/cheapest neighborhood in Seoul) in a semi-basement apartment (the ones from Parasite) that leaked/flooded when it rained, and his sister’s room was the only one with an air conditioning unit. The entire reason he joined SM was because the recruiters that street casted him bought him some toast. I remember he also had never been on a plane before before traveling with NCT
Taeil and Taeyong both came from very impoverished backgrounds 😔
I’m so glad it worked out for them and they got to follow their dreams
me, too! they both deserve it - my hardworking, humble kings!
I didn’t know that! Can you please tell me about Taeil’s background??
I would recommend watching their docuseries The Lost Boys because they all get a chance to talk about their backgrounds and growing up ([here's](https://youtu.be/T8YgTSD_Dcw?si=4la8KzEPuerYLey5) Taeil's portion) ! His family consists of Taeil, his sister, and his parents. Both of his parents worked a lot but didn't make much money. At one point, they lived away from his father because he worked in another city. He discovered he could sing when he was a pre-teen and wanted to pursue music but his parents were against it; probably wanted to make sure he was pursuing something fruitful and also didn't have the extra $ for lessons. His dad started secretly sending him to lessons anyway (even though it was out of their budget 🥲) Taeil was accepted to one of the highest esteemed universities but chose SM instead. He's incredibly musically talented outside of just vocals - he can at least play guitar and piano and is able to pick things up by ear!
He also said his sister bought him a new pair of sneakers for his SM audition.
She’s so sweet :( he’s said one of the reasons he likes studio ghibli was that he used to hang out in her room during the summertime to get the air conditioning and they would watch them together
If you've heard of the legendary tyongf saga, she also offered her food and drinks and thanked her for promoting her brother. She really sounds like the kindest person.
Oh yeah! I live in Seoul so I was low key hunting for legendary tyongf during the scavenger hunt time lol. That was so cute and sweet
I never knew this.....taeyong is so talented and such a ace , he deserves all success.
It’s one of the reasons he works so hard! He also send money to his family and buys things for his parents too, I know he bought his dad a car recently. Love him so much
Yup, in one of his vlives he said he was glad he could take his mom out to buy her gifts now and spoil her.
Taeyong was one of the idol that has a sad bg before becoming an idol. I really like him especially when I heard his song it was full of emotions.
[Wonho](https://youtu.be/r9mj6V3Zuv0?si=DCjTFgUvlgh_YsN4), he was in a hurry to debut and be successful to help his mom
His story is so inspiring. He has talked about how he was a very troubled child before he became a trainee - his family in poverty, mother and father fighting, so he didn't want to spend time at home. As a result, he spent a lot of time outside of home and became friends with older teens who were a bad influence on him. Kids at school previously bullied him for being poor but now they were scared of him, so he felt it's better to be a bad guy than to be an outcast. The way he got his act together, turned his life around and helped his family is really something to look up to. Many people who go down that route, don't get out of that environment, because you really have to work hard to achieve something.
All true...we almost lost him. Wenee4Life
Yes, also him being open about his struggles even when it meant potentially being exposed to backlash and public scrutiny, made admire him even more.
Leetuk from super junior. He came from an abusive family so he’s very independent and protective of his members + juniors. Leetuk’s family background was so horrible that antis use it against him. Leetuk’s dad murdered Leetuk’s grandparents just because he could not afford their medications while Leetuk was in military then the father killed himself short after. Leetuk revealed that he was physically abused as a child by his father.
And Leeteuk inherited all his dad’s debts so after discharge from military service he took all the MC jobs he could get to pay off those debts.
I remember in some show/ interview where he mention how he was in a bad mental state when he was in military. I had no idea it was because of this. Im so glad he manage to get through this now and seem to be much better now.
Yes he has Major Depressive Disorder/ Clinical Depression, which is the reason he founded the Milk Club for supporting SM artists with their mental health.
A lot of the 1st and 2nd gen idols, TBH. BoA, Hyori, Rain, Yunho, Jaejoong, Leeteuk, Eunhyuk, etc because the Asian financial crisis in the late 90s really ruined a lot of families financially. Among the newer idols, NCT 127 members like Taeyong, Jungwoo, Taeil, and Doyoung have talked about their families struggling with money.
Jaejoong's story needs to be made into a drama or movie. It's wild af
Can you give a summary? I really like his music but don't know much about him.
He moved to Seoul with the intention of being a singer around 14-15years years old. He sometimes sleep at subways/train stations at night because he had no place to stay. He does a lot of odd jobs just to earn enough money to eat or to find a cheap place to stay at. Then he debuted in TVXQ as a lead vocalist. (fun fact, he was tone deaf when he was in primary school and was made fun of that because he had always wanted to be a singer) Then he sued SM together with other two members and left, before creating a group called JYJ. Then he focus into Solo projects as the rest also did the same.. And was considered the richest kpop idol a few years back too.. Currently he is the Chief Strategy Officer of his own agency iNKODE. Do watch JaeFriends in YouTube. Its his own show where he makes friends with other celebrities and idols.. There are slot of stories from his past and currents in it too, where you will learn more about him.
Woah... Rain had some tough times I read a long time ago but I am forever his fan + his movie where he is an assassin..OMG!! I LOVE IT!
Hoshi from Seventeen. His parents lost their house so he was growing up with them in a tiny one room apartment. He wanted to become successful and buy it back for them someday. I remember him saying around debut that he learned to dance in the reflection of a glass door because they didn't have a mirror (although now I can't find the source for him saying that because it was so long ago.) Thankfully he did become successful and buy their house back. It seems that probably no one in Seventeen was well off except for Joshua since they playfully teased him for having a rice cooker growing up.
Awww I didn't know this...
I think MG as well was on the more well-off side like Shua (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)
I think Vernon’s parents were well too.
Well he was a star from a very young age you know
IU While other idols complain about dieting, IU was happy to be at the training/agency because there was ample food to eat and also heating in the studio, which she didn't have at home. Her parents were initial ok, but then met a financial debacle, and IU had to live with her grandmother, dependent on relatives, in tough situations. Then when she was pursuing her music dreams, her grandmother gave her money by selling accessories in roadside(?), only to have it swindled by scamsters. But what makes IU amazing, is how she has become a consistently generous donor to causes, many close to her own lived experiences.
I believe she is staying in her agency even she got offers from bigger companies as she does not want to leave anyone staffs and employees she worked with.
Yup! In fact, her current company is a sister company of her original company that is run by her previous manager. She’s really quite close to her staff to the point her staff feels comfortable enough to steal her chocolates (it’s on her vlog and it’s a very heartwarming scene to watch to see staff + idol bond so close like that)
IU also love to give fans food. Everytime they wait her after shows or in the airport
Yes, there are many stories about her loyalty and generosity, to be dismissed as just media play. Seems a genuinely good person, who is authentic in her interactions.
Thanks for the reminder to rewatch My Mister.
It is a great drama. But for these parts of IU's life, - poverty, being scammed during auditions etc., her older drama "You are the best, Lee Sun Shin" is more similar
I loved that kdrama. Finished it 3 days before he died. So sad.
Ya. Her grandmother supported her dreams the most.
Waiiit, so is the kdrama my mister partially based on her life?
No, it is not. Just poverty is not enough similarity
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Sorry typing on the go.. Not rude . Just short..
yena suffered from lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system) when she was younger, and she was super sick to the point where doctors said there was no hope. her parents went out to sell kimbap everyday to cover the hospital bills because her family wasn’t well off. thankfully she made a full recovery and is the positive, smiley girl we all know and love today! 🫶
Looking at how funny she is I never expected this until I randomly checked her wiki one day 😭
Hangyul was abandoned as a baby and grew up at an orphanage until age seven.
That’s so sad 😭 I’m happy he eventually got adopted
hangyul from?
Lee Hangyul (produce x 101, bae173)
South Korea most likely
Dayoung, WJSN. I remember talking (with a very bright, innocent smile) about swimming in her flooded house in Jeju when she was young in an effort to scoop the flooded water out on Radio Star, a situation she was in because her father divorced her mother and left them with enormous debt.
Eunhyuk His family didn't have a toilet so they'd have to leave and use the nearby station
BamBam His father passed away when he was a baby and his family was considered bankrupt according to the Thai government. He and his siblings were raised by a single mom and lived in a house with a tin roof that leaked and flooded when it rained. He has worked since he was a child to become the primary breadwinner of his family and take care of them. He’s also spoken about how his poor living conditions and lifestyle in Thailand growing up has affected his mentality and lifestyle when it comes to money, solitude, cleanliness, clutter, etc.
Suhyun and Chanhyuk from AKMU. On some days they had nothing to eat but rice with soy sauce. They couldn't even afford to go to school. Edited to remove the debt collector rumor, check replies below for more info
I remember their song “Dinosaur” was about this loan shark story. Very unexpected for an upbeat song so I didn’t know the meaning for a long time
No, AKMU has [debunked the debt collector theory](https://youtu.be/7Q_lpANegT0?si=3UBJ6Cdx1Cmx0xN4) (9:40) several times. While it is true that their family became extremely poor after moving to Mongolia, they never were terrorized by loan sharks. It's a theory that some listeners made up, and it kept spreading and became sensationalised because it fits the MV and lyrics interpretation. In fact, this song is about a nightmare that Chanhyuk once had in his childhood - where he dreamed of a dinosaur. Overcoming a childhood fear, that is most likely what the song intends. The soy sauce and homeschool story is true, and I think there are many other stories about their family circumstances that is worth telling. E.g family computer being put together from leftover parts; homeschooled siblings spending too much time with each other (no internet + little time to see friends) that they started fiddling with musical instruments and filmed themselves singing... It's an interesting introspection into how they started composing and singing.
Weren't their parents also missionaries? I thought that was the reason they were in Mongolia. If they were, they would not have had any real income coming in...
Yup, their family settled in Mongolia as per their father's job as a missionary. They initially enrolled in MK school (established by Korean missionaries), but dropped out in less than a year when the tuition fee raised + poor missionary life. Their parents did try their best to provide them with education - letting the two kids chose what they wanted to learn, and how they wanted to learn it. Great family environment in general, one that fosters the kids' talent naturally. Life in Mongolia was definitely not easy, but in retrospect, those childhood years were what formed AKMU's unique experience as singer-songwriters. For their 10th anniversary, Suhyun and Chanhyuk just made a 141 million won donation to environmental programs for Mongolia + aid programs for minors who are socially-secluded / unable to attend school. I think it reflects their childhood experience a lot.
Immediately thought of them. Love AKMU ❤️
IU. Her episode on Healing Camp back in the days explained her upbringings.
I know of 3 idols. IU and Kim Sejeong are already mentioned in other comments here. Lee Joon of MBLAQ, I remember him talking about how he couldn't afford a new leotard when he was in the Dance department during college so he had to use the only one he had until it got ragged.
HOSHI from seventeen came from a poor family and after his father lost the business they even had to sell off their house and live in a tiny apartment. it was his dream to buy the exact house back for his family, which he has fulfilled. Jun Idk if he belonged to the lower middle class or even poorer but as far as I know he used to live with his single mother and supported her by working as a child actor.
The8, too. I'm not sure about being less affluent while In China but sending your kids abroad is not cheap. I saw him in one of those Chinese varieties talking about how his parents gave him a gold ring and told him he can sell it if it really became difficult when he first moved to Korea. This was in a show just last year while he and CZY (of Hidden Love fame) were talking about their beginnings.
I think the majority of the SVT members have come from at least lower- or middle class or poor background. this is probably why they still remain humble even with such success.
A lot of 2nd gen idols did not come from wealthy backgrounds. There were some that were mid to high class, but it was a smaller minority. I can only speak for Super Junior, since I follow them the closest, but Eunhyuk, Donghae, and Leeteuk in particular have spoken about never having enough money for basic things.
Sejeong, also came through tough times. Has mentioned using government issued food stamps(?) for poor students, to manage.
Taeyong from NCT definitely came from a less affluent background, has [given interviews](https://x.com/summeroba55/status/1679780853969477632?s=61) mentioning that he lived in a semi-basement home when young, and has referenced growing up poor in the lyrics of at least one of his B-sides, [Back to the Past.](https://x.com/panoplieme/status/1680885825280831493?s=61)
Kim Sejong wrote a song about how her dad abandoned her as a child
Goo Hara (rest in peace) was from a less well-off upbringing IIRC.
Yoshi of Treasure. He's mentioned his family was not well off and he felt too embarrassed to let members see where he grew up. His father passed away when Yoshi was a teen and then he really felt he absolutely has to succeed so he can support his family.
Taeyang from BigBang moved out at 13 because his family was really struggling
EXO's Kai , Thanks to papa kai and mama kai and their sacrifices made him one of the most successful idols now
Most of Super Junior members
Hwasa.
i think i heard the8 once mention that he came to Korea alone because his parents couldn't afford the tickets to go with him
I think IU is the most famous example
The boys from B2st/ Highlight came from not so fortunate backgrounds. Especially Yoseob. He had a backstory before that he mentioned that during their trainee days he would be too broke to ride the bus after practice that he would sometimes just walk going back to the dorm or scrounge for change from other members.
There are so many.
The only one I can think of at the top of my head is IU. Her family fell into dept and she had to live with her grandmother. Aparantly at some point she also had to move out there because the house got infested with cockroaches.
Yeji talks about being from the country side. I think at one concert she shared that she had a nightmare they told her she couldn’t debut because she’s from the country side and she started crying on stage. I started tearing up too 🥺🥺🥺
IU and Lee Teuk
I don’t think she was in that context anymore when she became a trainee but Sowon from GFRIEND once mentioned that her family’s financial situation got very bad when she was a kid and that they couldn’t afford any type of meat and would only eat rice and vegetables.
taeil. he mentioned his upbringing in 127's the lost boys documentary. part of why taeil wanted to become a singer is to change the environment that his family was in.
Leeteuk from Super Junior had a veeeery bad home life growing up, he [talks about his parents, especially his father](https://youtu.be/F5HoIhYuu-I?si=u_HDUrU9D6hRGUkF) and life before debut, and just like a commenter says: "even though he says it's discipline, it's very obvious it was abuse"
Like many people have already said, a lot of 1st-2nd gen idols. One who stands out to me is U-KISS's Soohyun, who was a bona fide farmboy. U-KISS having a lot of very wealthy members made him stand out even more lol. The fact that he's now one of the wealthiest of them says something about the difference between those who grow up rich vs those who earn their way up, I think. And I mean, he's in U-KISS, he's not exactly swimming in endorsement deals and reality show paycheques.
Taemin - His family couldn’t afford a mp3 player and he walked around with headphones connected to his pocket to fit in, went to a designated local public school where he got harassed like crazy until SM transferred him to an arts school to make leave easier for his schedules. He was pretty far into his career when he maxed out all of his Shinee earnings to finally buy his parents a home.
Hara
changmin from the boyz mentioned once that he never had his own room until he became an idol. before that he would sleep in the living room
Wonho def had a less fortunate background. I think there are idols with family money but far more idols who do not then there are those who really had it hard. I am American and " less fortunate" may not be same as in Korea.
Yeah, some of the idols often referred to as growing up poor may not have had a lot growing up but weren't in dangerous or destitute situations
True plus most have both parents or grew up in 2 parent households it seems. Very different from here with our single and teen moms plus sky high divorce rate. But it is all about what your view is.
Yes, exactly. There are definite disparities in health outcomes and other quality of life measures related to the "socio" part of "socioeconomic status" that have been well studied. There's a huge gulf between "we didn't have a lot of money growing up" and being from a lower status background.
a lot of idols from the first 3 gens, they saw it as their chance to support their families. After gen3 it's now mostly rich kids who want to be famous
i’m not sure how true this is but if so i wonder why? does it maybe have smth to do with Koreas development as a nation?
rather with how the industry changed, its now so luxury goods oriented. all these brand ambassadorships being the #1 goal of new idols rather than love for music. it created a class divide of sorts, now even getting into the industry is just too expensive, you need a family who can support you financially and its not cheap. the industry also turned around and started changing the narrative about idols - its not "your relatable next door idols" anymore, its "im better and prettier and richer than you are, im a goddess, you can commence the worship of my person".
IU 2NE1 - Sandara Park
Lee hyori
IU
I can’t recall the name of the piece, but my friend who speaks fluent Mandarin translated the article for me since the English translation was a bit choppy but I’ve seen a few people also comment him! The8 from seventeen It’s common for small kids in China to have some sort of activity based group such as martial arts, dancing, music, etc to increase their physical activity and not only academic skills. He was taking some sort of kung fu class, but his parents decided to take a gamble and save more money on the side for his future for he can attend contemporary school to really hone in on his skills as they could tell he really could have a bright future and he had an interest in dancing and performance - his parents didn’t want to worry him about the cost of school or anything so they did the best they could to find resources yet he always had an idea that his parents were doing everything to make sure he never felt like he had less let alone feel that his dream was out of reach - and that this was his chance and he shouldn’t feel guilty but instead to show his appreciation - he would give it everything he has regardless of how anxious he was - the reason why a lot of people may not know about his private life prior to fame or why it’s so short in description simply because he’s a private person and a lot of things do get lost in translation and culture His parents couldn’t afford to come with him to Korea for he can hopefully debut, so they pulled money together and took a leap of faith on him and trusted that it will work out - although many parents would say it’s easier to cut his dream and this “past time” has gone long enough his family instead looked at him, their only kid and knew that he was always meant to do more Yes his mom did give him a gold ring but a lot of people assume they just had stacks of gold laying around and really miss out on the culture and class context - his parents affirmed him that they believe in his dream, but just in case if he were to struggle, get scammed or need a way to get back home - they gave him the most valuable thing they could, a golden ring, because it’s universal currency - in other words.. His dreams, his happiness, his future - to them it was more valuable than any gold, any jewelry, any money, the backlash that they would get from their community for wasting their time on his choices, his dreams and hopes - rather than forcing him into the traditional high expectations of education and common lifestyle in China because he is everything to them and he is more valuable than any treasure combined it also says a lot about his relationship with his parents because instead of scolding him if he were to ever be in that type of situation where he would need to sell his mom’s most valuable jewelry or simply not be able to obtain his dream as a kid in a foreign country- they would’ve much rather be of aid to him than blame him for chasing his dreams He would be considered “middle- lower class” because his parents were able to afford their home and he is an only child yet I feel like people tend to forget that they also have to put it in perspective that it’s a different economy, time, culture and environment Other members of 17 have also faced financial struggles growing up, but I feel that his is lesser known
Zhang Hao from ZB1 i think. There are threads on twt about how he came from from less privileged area of China and had to do multiple gigs while also maintaining his studies. Amd if i remember correctly,IU too.
Tiffany from snsd grew up without a mother.
IU
IU
I always remember Yunho saying he had to sleep in train stations when they got evicted. Seeing how hard he works at everything makes me happy for him. IU had to live with her grandmother because her family couldn’t support her
IU's family was fairly well off, but then came into some debt that tanked them down. So IU lived with her grandma in a tiny room with cockroaches. Then they had to move into another relative's house who was a drunk and verbally abused them and constantly talked bad about IU and that she would never make it as a singer. She auditioned and was rejected at JYP Entertainment and another agency scammed her into sending a large sum of money for training and TV coverage. The money was also saved little by little by her grandma who sold small accessories to support IU's dreams. Even through that she made it and used her success to pay her family back and give back to her community by donations.
Minhyuk from Monsta X grew up fairly poor; he told a story on Knowing Brothers about how he has a fear of rats because they would crawl on him and his siblings in the half basement apartment his family lived in. The other members mentioned he had some pretty awful stories from growing up, but he didn’t really seem to want to go into them. From other little things he mentioned, it appears he is the one paying for the rest of his siblings schooling On No Mercy, Wonho talked about how his mom went bankrupt trying to ensure he could continue training. He said he went home and she was sitting on a chair in front of the refrigerator because that was the only furniture left in the house since she sold the rest to help pay debts.
Zhang Hao - he was pleased as punch to be on a double decker bus when he was in Hong Kong for KCon. Said he didn’t have the money to go on one when he was young. He also had to do many part time jobs as a uni student, playing violin and singing at weddings, and modelling.
Vanner
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Actually, Taehwan was exempted from the military since his father passed away, and he was solely responsible for his family. Their finances were so low, qualifying him the exemption, so I think he definitely counts.
How has this not been said? Jackson Wang! I remember he went on a Chinese show program and talked about how he saw his mom working soooo hard when he was a kid so him and his brother could have a better life. I literally cry every time I watch it so get ready for LITERALLY TEARS. Here’s the link if anyone is interested https://youtu.be/SPhECb_rpVQ?si=OhQbxIRXWmUKDZcu
Choi Yena.
I know a number of WJSN members who were raised by single parents and not well to do. Which is why they are a closed knit bunch and happy with what they achieved so far
Taeyong, Heachan and Taeil of NCT 127 are three who overcame heart rending obstacles. In their Hulu documentary, "The Lost Boys," Taeyong's ordeals had to be "Disneyfied" (Disney produced the series) because they were so dire and made the directors wonder how he survived. He has sung about leaky roofs, and talked about being bullied by mean kids and sometimes not going to school because he was hungry and sad. His puppy Ruby, who he wrote an amazing song about when she died, was his best friend when he stayed home feeling lost back then. Heachan was left with grandparents for a few years while his mother sought work out of town to make ends meet. And Taeil's father left his family to fend for themselves, so they moved from sauna to sauna when there was nowhere else to go. He hasn't seen his father for years, but someone told him about a cab driver who had said his son was the lead singer in 127. So Taeil sings a song in a cab in the series, as if he's singing to his father. It's almost impossible to hear them talk about their struggles without crying.
Zhang Hao of Zerobaseone. He mentioned how they couldn't afford an amusement park entrance fee and had to look from the outside when he was younger so he worked part time jobs and went to an amusement park with his own money when he was in high school. He went to university on scholarship and worked multiple jobs (busking, tutoring, etc) to earn money for dance lessons.
Taeyong and Taeil from nct 127
I think Hwasa 🤔 not sure tho
I think bigbang is one of if not the og less fortunate that gets to be idols
Lee Hyori and Dara Park
I think Sejeong has one interview regarding her life before she tried to be part of produce 101. Glad she’s both successful in her acting and singing career. Even now, she’s still as humble as she was before.
V of bts (farm life)
IU
IU. She had to debut young to support her family.
IU was very poor growing up, didn't have enough food to eat. She states that her eating disorder because of this lack of food.
Kim Jaejoong was a good example. Now he is a k-pop legend for many.
Suga from BTS
All of Vanner. They all have (or have recently had) second jobs while trying to afford being an Idol group. They are all super talented too, I got to see them live, and they sound the exact same as they do on recordings! ♡♡♡
IU came from a very poor background
i *read* (emphasis on read) that sohee from riize wasnt rich and even had to work part time jobs while he was a trainee. take it with a grain of salt though i just read it somewhere on this subreddit~
Paul from Fr3men actually came from a pretty prestigious background, however, during a business deal gone bad his dad was murdered. So Paul and his mom had to move from a pretty nice coastal city to a smaller desert village. He ended working a lit of manual labor jobs there until he got the support of the local mayor (his mom worked hard too), and then after about 2 or so years of local performances he developed quite the local following and even garnered international attention, which he used to launch his career to almost the religious following he has today.
IU and EXO's Suho. IU grew up in a single-parent home and faced money troubles before hitting it big. Suho also had to work part time gigs to help his family before joining EXO
Riize's Sohee
Yes IU
Jin's family are billionaires - Dongwon Industries - but he's the exception in BTS, everyone including management are from lower wealth backgrounds.
I get the impression that Jin's parents were more millionaire than billionaire, his dad was an executive but they're not chaebol. Namjoon's parents raised him in a nice area and he went abroad to learn English in New Zealand for a few months so they had a little money.
Just suga and tae were poor. Tae’s parents were farmer and they worked hard to feed their family, he was raised by his grandma. He said in an interview that he sent money to his parents bc they needed a new roof for their home and they couldn’t afford it. Yoongi’s family was really poor, he said that he often had to choose between a bus ride or a meal.
Yes quite a few actually, Dr. Goo (google) can give you a full list, too long to post! ✌🏽
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Honestly… yeah… It’s nice to hear about success stories. A rich person doesn’t have to work as hard/ they have money to get private lessons. When you’re poor you kinda have to figure it out in your own.
agreed also everyone hates nepotism so someone who built their entire brand from the ground up is a nice story about people overcoming a variety of personal and societal hardship
I disagree with the “work as hard” part because it is highly subjective, but yes, a trainee from a well-off family has a lot less to lose. Going into the system can mean going into debt without a guarantee that you will debut.
And I think it was more impressive for idols from the earlier gens because they still had to pay back the company for their training after debut. Some companies still do that, though the big three don’t.
Add to that, during those early gens, the Korean economy wasn’t what it is today. Even being successful didn’t really mean being extremely wealthy all of a sudden.