Often, Korean idols appear on television to show their bubbly, cheerful and charming characters to be their fans' "happy pill." They may even appear to be the happiest people on earth with what they show on-screen, but some of these artists, behind their contagious smiles, hide their sorrows and painful past.
Below are some of the artists who experienced discrimination, family's objection, being deprived, and how they rise from rock bottom to fame and success.
1. BTS's V and Suga
Both Kim Taehyung, V's real name, and Min Yoongi, Suga's real name, came from poor families. These two BTS members underwent struggles before reaching the stardom. V was raised by his grandparents because his parents had to work hard around Korea to provide for their family. He also lived in a farm in a small village in Daegu.
Suga's parents, on the other hand, were opposed to his dreams to become an idol because they wanted him to become a normal office worker who will live a comfortable life. However, despite being a good student in his school, he pursued his ambitions and chased his passion for music. He almost believed that he made the wrong decision because when BTS debuted, they did not do well at first. A complete turnaround occured, thanks to their perseverance and faith in what they can show the world, and now they are one of the biggest and brightest K-pop boy bands around the globe.
2. Super Junior's Leeteuk
The leader of the K-pop group Super Junior, also referred to as "Hallyu Kings," is known for his friendly atmosphere and is always applauded for his leadership skills. He gives off a softhearted father figure, especially to the maknae line of his group, including Donghae, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun. However, some people don't know that Leeteuk grew up with a father who hurt him physically as a child. Despite this, he worked hard to become an idol. But the heartbreak did not stop because in 2014, his father committed a grave crime-he murdered his parents, Leeteuk's grandparents, by strangling them to death before taking his own life. He also left a hateful letter to Leeteuk, his son, that said, "Do you truly believe you achieved success all by yourself?"
Leeteuk suffered from depression because of this tragic incident, but with his members supporting him, he found the light and realized the beauty of life, always looking at the positivity in living.
3. BLACKPINK's Lisa
Prior to her debut as BLACKPINK's main dancer, Lisa was already passionate about becoming an idol by starting out as a dancer at a very young age in Thailand, her homeland. She was later on scouted as a trainee in YG Entertainment, a huge step behind his dream of becoming a K-pop star. She trained for five years in a foreign land where she, at first, struggled with the language barrier and homesickness.
In 2017, the rookie group boomed to success, gaining lots of interest and attention from the whole world. However, Lisa's life as an idol was never easy, as she was attacked with several hate comments, discriminating against her for her race. She was often called out due to her physical appearance, calling her names just because they believe she does not pass the Korean beauty standards.
4.TVXQ Yunho
Yunho, member of the "Emperors of K-pop" TVXQ, experienced being deprived of a comfortable life while growing up. His family was economically challenged to the point that they became homeless, leaving him no choice but to sleep on train stations, with only newspaper as his mattress for he has nowhere to go.
5. Sandara Park
Before becoming a member of the iconic group 2NE1, Sandara Park, or also known as Dara, met hardships as the breadwinner of their family. After winning the second prize in the reality TV show "Star Circle Quest" in the Philippines, he established a career in the country but she eventually decided to train as a K-pop star in her homeland South Korea. In addition to this, his father stole all of their money and ran away to his second family.
