A famous K-Pop idol has confessed that he experienced financial difficulties even during his prime.
On September 8th, the YouTube channel Rolling Thunder uploaded a video titled “The heyday of Sebakwi… Always writing handwritten letters to female idols?!” featuring Jo Kwon of 2AM as a guest.
After a long trainee period, Jo Kwon debuted with 2AM and started his entertainment career on SBS‘s Star King. Jo Kwon said, “After my first appearance, the internet went crazy. At first, I thought I was being insulted because the word ‘kkap’ was used so much. Back then, ‘kkap’ could be seen negatively, right? But it ended up becoming a nickname.”
Later, Jo Kwon appeared on Three Wheels (also known as Sebakwi) and said, “That was when my big luck really came in. At that time, I was on Star King, Sebakwi, and We Got Married, and 2AM’s ‘Can’t Let You Go, Even If I Die’ hit the charts.”
However, Jo Kwon confessed that he was financially struggling at the time. He said, “Back then, I was really struggling financially. The expenses the company invested in trainees were considered debts that the artists had to repay. This changed after I debuted; the Fair Trade Commission made the company responsible for those costs,” adding, “I was able to settle accounts only after 3 to 4 years post-debut since there were costs invested in trainees. But people just assumed I was rich.”
Jo Kwon shared, “There was never time to be grateful or happy. After recording a Sebakwi special for Chuseok or Lunar New Year, I went home to Suwon, where my family lives, and saw my mom washing her hair with cold water because the hot water was cut off. That moment made me resolve to work hard to earn money, and it became my motivation to get a regular spot [on shows].“