He gave a direct explanation to avoid more speculation.
Koreaboo
8 minutes ago
Recently, BOYNEXTDOOR’s Myung Jaehyun was caught up in a controversy regarding his previous part-time jobs.
Before his debut, he worked multiple part-time jobs, ranging from construction sites, parking attendants, wedding halls, convenience stores, cafes, restaurants, and more.
He wanted to buy equipment to make music, but his parents could not help him financially at the time, so he opted to work short, but hard, well-paying jobs to focus on his music.
He never pretended to be poor. He actually mentioned that he was quite well-off before and even studied abroad in the U.S.
— OP
In particular, his part-time job working at the coal mine garnered much criticism after netizens began pointing out that it was illegal for minors to work in coal mining. An online community post defended him, claiming he was of age at the time.
Myung Jaehyun was born in 2003 and was 20 at the time. For those saying that coal mines were abolished in 2024, he was 20 in 2023, so it was before they were abolished. Regarding a coal mining license, he never said he was a coal miner. He only did things like carrying coal from the outside. For those stating there are no coal mines in Seoul, he never said it was Seoul in the first place.
— OP
Not long after, Myung Jaehyun himself explained the situation to avoid any more speculation and rumors.
No matter what radio station I go to these days, there is only talk about my part-time jobs. Seriously LOL. Like I’ve said before, I’ve never gone inside a coal mine. I only moved the coal. And four years ago, there were more coal mines than there are now. A lot of them have disappeared. Part-time job advertisements, please contact me.
— Myung Jaehyun
Netizens showed support for him and couldn’t understand why people were making a big deal out of it.
| Instiz
- “It’s hilarious that he has to explain himself for working a part-time job. Do they really have nothing better to do? Regardless, I’ve always felt the friendly vibe from, and now I think I know why.”
- “I love how is always living a wholesome life. I always thought he was born to be a celebrity when I saw him on YouTube.”
- “Why is everyone bashing someone who has lived diligently? He is still living and working hard even after becoming an idol.”
- “Why are they criticizing someone for nothing. I just felt he was living and working hard.”
- “Their new song is great.”
- “Why does he have to explain himself?”
Meanwhile, he previously garnered attention for his pre-debut story.
Popular Fifth-Gen Idol’s Heart-Wrenching Pre-Debut Story Sparks Huge Response

