A top K-Pop idol reminisced about his difficult trainee days, revealing that he slept on the streets during this time.
On July 18th, MBC’s variety show The Manager featured TVXQ‘s U-Know Yunho.
On the show, Yunho started his passionate day with fasted cardio, which he does every day, and demonstrated steady self-management.
Then, Yunho showed that he collected coins in a piggy bank. The manager explained, “The habit of collecting coins started during his tough trainee days. He still continues to do it to keep from forgetting his initial mindset.”
Yunho added, “The goal was to save steadily and use the full amount for something meaningful.”
Additionally, Yunho looked back on his difficult trainee period. He said, “Since I came up from the provinces, I had to commute back and forth, so I was short on money. I didn’t have a place to live, so I slept on the streets. I stayed near Seoul Station and in parks. At first, I survived by staying in Korean saunas, and because I had to practice, I also worked part-time.”
Regarding part-time work, Yunho said, “Snow removal had the highest hourly wage. It was about ₩3,800 KRW (about $2.55 USD) at the time, which was a good amount. I also cleaned grills at a barbecue restaurant. I spent a lot of time cleaning the grease traps.”
The cast members admired, saying, “Now we understand why he’s such a passionate guy.”