“On screen, I looked optimistic, but…”
17 minutes ago
K-Pop star Eric Nam opened up about the struggles he faced during his time promoting in Korea, as well as why his TV and other appearances there began to decrease.
Eric Nam | @ericnam/Instagram
In a recent video titled “Running Into Eric Nam on the Street and Starting an Impromptu Busking Session,” uploaded to the YouTube channel JAYKEEOUT, Eric Nam sat down for an interview with Jay, with whom he has maintained a long-standing friendship.
Reflecting on his time living in Korea, he shared, “To be honest, back then living in Korea, there were a lot of things I really struggled with.”
As Jay commented on how “optimistic” Eric Nam had always been perceived by the Korean public, the K-Pop star unwrapped the devastating details of how his health, both mental and physical, crumbled behind that positivity.
My mental health got really bad, and overall, I became really unhealthy…
…On screen, I looked optimistic, so bright, kind, and funny. But inside, I was really struggling. Even something like sitting down and having a cup of coffee felt kind of scary.
But as my health got worse, for about three months, I only ate porridge, and I started having panic attacks. And my arms, fingers, my back… Even my legs started going numb. I suddenly lost sensation on the right side of my face.
— Eric Nam
Given that, after the COVID-19 pandemic, Eric Nam shifted his base to the United States. He is currently actively working, including appearing on the American variety show The Traitors, and has also shared that he is involved in producing Hollywood films and series in addition to his music career.
Watch the full video here: