Singer Park Seo-jin recently opened up about the hardships he faced during his early career, capturing the attention of many.
On the October 12th episode of KBS2TV's 'Men Who Do Housework 2,' Park Seo-jin shared memories of his days before fame.
During the episode, Park Seo-jin's sister, Park Hyo-jung, took on the role of his manager to help her brother, who had injured his leg. As she drove, the siblings reminisced about the past. Park Seo-jin recalled, "I didn't have a car, so I carried my clothes and makeup tools in a bag and traveled by bus. Back then, there were no waiting rooms, so I had to endure in the restroom."
He continued, "When I traveled without a car, security guards didn't even know I was a singer, and no one paid attention. Now, seeing my name on the waiting room door makes me proud. Other singers wore clothes worth hundreds of thousands of won, but I bought a jacket for 20,000 won online and added glitter from the market myself."
Park Seo-jin shared, "I often waited 3-4 hours in the restroom, and even when I finally got on stage, there were times when the audience seats were empty. Experiencing that in cold weather was truly heartbreaking." He added, "Without a waiting room, I often waited outside. When it got cold after October, I would wait in the restroom."
Park Seo-jin revealed, "When I had no stage to perform on, I had to promote myself. I would call event organizers after seeing their banners, pleading, 'I'm an unknown singer, please give me a stage. I don't need money, just a chance to perform.' Despite my fear of phone calls, I made numerous calls, fearing rejection."
Park Hyo-jung expressed surprise, "How did you manage to call them despite being so introverted?" Park Seo-jin replied, "I loved singing in front of people. Even now, many singers strive to perform, and I must give my all to each stage like them." Born in 1997, Park Seo-jin is also known for spending 100 million won on cosmetic surgery, making it difficult to recognize his facial features.
Reporter Chaeryeong Lim, TenAsia syjj426@tenasia.co.kr