Former 'Gag Concert' comedian Lee Deok-jae's recent life update is capturing attention.
A video titled "Comedian Who Led 'Gag Concert' Golden Era, Now Recovered Credit Score After Financial Struggles" was recently uploaded on the 'Geunhwang Olympic' channel. In the video, Lee Deok-jae appears at his workplace.
Lee has been working as a used car dealer for nine years. When asked by the production team about promoting himself as 'Iceman' on his business card, Lee explained, "I show my old comedy videos on YouTube to those who don't know me," introducing himself through his comedian past.
In the early 2000s, Lee Deok-jae was a prominent comedian known as 'Iceman.' Debuting alongside Song Eun-i, Jo Hye-ryun, and Ji Seok-jin as part of KBS's 10th public recruitment, he was a key figure in the golden era of KBS comedy programs, alongside Park Jun-hyung, Jung Hyung-don, and Kim Soo-yong.
After suddenly leaving the stage, Lee's whereabouts were unknown. He shared, "During my 6-7 months as a comedian, I gained both income and fame. There was a time when I flaunted around with nice cars and phones." However, things changed drastically.
He confessed, "I lived in a small room with a deposit of 500,000 won and a monthly rent of 300,000 won, unemployed. After a divorce, I ended up with 800 million won in debt, reaching the fourth tier of financial institutions. I declared bankruptcy and lived through tough times."
Now living a second life, Lee shared, "I started as a salesperson, going to work early, bowing to people, distributing flyers, and entering unfamiliar offices. Performing on stage doesn't make me nervous because I've done it before, but I stood outside the door for 20 minutes out of embarrassment. When I handed out flyers, people recognized me. I admitted I used to be a comedian. When asked why I was doing this, I said it was to make a living. About 20 people stood up and applauded."
Last February, Lee appeared on MBN's 'Special World' and candidly shared why he abruptly ended his comedy career. He revealed, "During 'Gag Concert,' I earned 5-6 million won in a day, and sometimes 15-20 million won in a week."
However, he squandered his 500 million won savings due to a lavish lifestyle and ended up with an additional 300 million won debt, leading to bankruptcy. He regretted, "I stopped taking jobs and traveled abroad. When the production team rejected me once, they never called me back."
Currently, Lee proudly states, "My credit has been restored to the top tier for nine years now. Given my age, this job is my last."
Na-yeon Jo, TenAsia Reporter nybluebook@tenasia.co.kr