BTOB's Yook Sungjae Opens Up About Revenue Sharing and Personal Struggles

Yook Sungjae from BTOB candidly shared his thoughts on revenue sharing during a recent episode of MBN's reality show 'Jeon Hyun-moo Plan 3'.

On the episode aired on the 27th, BTOB members Seo Eunkwang and Yook Sungjae explored popular eateries in Yongin.

Seo Eunkwang credited Yook Sungjae as a key factor in BTOB's 14-year success. Yook Sungjae revealed, "In the early days of BTOB, when our music wasn't doing well, my appearances on variety shows and dramas were successful. We shared the earnings equally back then."

Yook Sungjae admitted, "There were times I wavered," and confessed he considered going solo. He recalled, "There was a time when I was really upset. It was when I was filming the drama 'Who Are You' in 2015."

Yook Sungjae shared that he was only getting seven hours of sleep a week at the time. "I went back to the dorm, and Eunkwang was just playing games in his underwear," he said, expressing frustration about sharing earnings with members who were resting.

Seo Eunkwang responded, "I wanted to have schedules too. I had my own struggles," adding, "I was envious of Sungjae. I was proud when he worked hard and came back."

Yook Sungjae expressed gratitude for Seo Eunkwang's support, saying, "Eunkwang knows about all my solo activities. He mentions them and his casual comments give me strength."

As they headed to Yook Sungjae's mother's favorite restaurant, they made a surprise call to her. When Jeon Hyun-moo asked, "What kind of son is Sungjae?" she proudly replied, "He's a grateful son. He takes care of his responsibilities on his own. Even if he doesn't express it, I know." Yook Sungjae humorously added, "Raising me was zero difficulty."

Additionally, Yook Sungjae revealed he had been approached by older girl group members in the past. "I used to get contacted by girl groups. Many older idols reached out," he said, explaining that it wasn't direct but through acquaintances asking if he wanted to be introduced.

He added, "I was curious and asked who they were. I knew some, and didn't know others. They were famous enough that I'd recognize their names. I wondered, 'Why me?'"

Reported by Kim Eun-jung, TenAsia. Email: eun@tenasia.co.kr