MMA fighter Kim Dong-hyun has revealed his past experience as a victim of school bullying.

On October 16, the YouTube channel 'Jjanhanyoung' released an episode titled 'Kim Dong-hyun Brings Fighters Go Seok-hyun and Kim Sang-wook [Jjanhanyoung EP.136]'. The video featured broadcaster Shin Dong-yup, comedian Jung Ho-chul, Kim Dong-hyun, MMA fighter Kim Sang-wook, and MMA fighter Go Seok-hyun.

Kim Sang-wook first spoke about his childhood experience with school bullying. He shared, "I grew up in the countryside without peers and moved to Seoul at the age of 8. It was hard to fit in because of my accent." He added, "In high school, I was about to eat when someone hit me on the back of my head. Nearly ten people denied it, and I felt humiliated and wanted to cry."


Kim Sang-wook also recounted an incident after becoming a champion, where he tried to find the student who bullied him. He said, "I wasn't looking to fight. Later, that person contacted me first, apologizing for the hurt they caused." Shin Dong-yup joked, "Kim Sang-wook's reply was scary. He said, 'I'll contact you after the match.'" Kim Sang-wook explained, "I have no intention of hitting them now. I just want to ask why they did that to me back then."

During this conversation, Kim Dong-hyun also shared his similar struggles. He revealed, "My real name is Kim Bong, and I was teased a lot because of it until middle school, which led me to change my name." He recalled, "During introductions at the start of the school year, people would stop me and tease me by saying 'Caught Bong'."

He continued, "I was passive back then, and stronger kids would often pick on me. That's when I decided I needed to become stronger." He explained that one of the reasons he became an MMA fighter was due to the bullying he faced at school.

Kim Dong-hyun stated, "My number one life goal at the time was 'strength'. I was stressed thinking about how many fights I might have to get into and whether I'd end up at the police station." However, he added, "I believed fighting wasn't the answer, so I never got into a fight during my school years."

He shared his motivation for starting MMA, saying, "I thought I could fight fairly in the ring, not on the streets, and become strong enough for everyone to acknowledge."

Min-kyung Lee, Ten Asia Reporter 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr
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