A famous K-Pop idol’s confession of severe financial hardship on the upcoming episode of You Quiz on the Block has already sparked shock and support.
On the 24th, the tvN variety show You Quiz on the Block uploaded a video titled ‘High school student Lee Joon secretly living in the school practice room to avoid cockroaches” on its official YouTube channel. The clip featured Lee Joon, MBLAQ member-turned-actor, who will appear as a guest on the episode airing on the 27th.
In the video, host Yoo Jae Suk asked Lee Joon, “You practically lived in the school practice room during high school?” referring to his school days. Lee Joon was once a promising talent admitted to the Korea National University of Arts after attending Seoul Arts High School’s dance department. Yoo Jae Suk inquired about the intense training he endured back then.
However, Lee Joon’s reality was closer to living in poverty. He recalled, “There was a long cabinet just big enough for a person to get inside. I would stay in there until the security guard finished his rounds and left. When I came out, all the lights were off. It was really scary. I practiced dancing and slept there.”
When Yoo asked if there was a reason he had to live like that, Lee Joon said, “My family was really struggling financially at the time. There were so many cockroaches at home. Even now, I haven’t shaken the habit I developed then — after sleeping on a show like 2 Days &1 Night, I still check under my pillow. Back then, there would always be four cockroaches under the pillow. When I went to brush my teeth, sometimes cockroaches would be on the toothbrush bristles.” His candid revelation shocked viewers.
Lee continued, “The house I lived in back then is still there. Sometimes when I go back, it feels like I’m transported to that time. Then when I return to my current home — which is nice — it feels so strange. Looking back, I feel like I haven’t really improved compared to then, and I question whether I deserve to enjoy and receive so much now.”
Lee Joon’s confession of financial hardship during his school years has shocked both viewers and netizens alike.