Whenever we see idols, we see them in their best. We see the glitz and glamour of K-pop, with perfectly done make-up and expensive stage outfits. Despite how rich and luxurious these idols look, not every idol has grown up so comfortably. Here are six K-pop idols who came from poor backgrounds.
1. IU
IU was raised by her grandmother because both of her parents were in debt and could not afford to raise her and her brother. The family had a hard time getting by and IU herself stated that there were times they did not have enough food to eat. At the time, the singer wanted to make money to help her family, but she ended up getting scammed by fake companies who tricked her into paying them to train. She failed 20 auditions before being accepted into LOEN Entertainment.
2. Super Junior's Eunhyuk
Most people don't know that Eunhyuk grew up in poverty. He revealed that in the past, he lived in a house with no toilet. If they wanted to use the restroom, they would need to go to a public restroom station near their home. Eunhyuk revealed it was hard to live in such a place, but he never complained. As he did not have any money to learn how to dance, he learned to dance in the streets.
3. GOT7's Bambam
Bambam came from a poor family in Thailand. When he was just three years old, his father passed away, leaving his mother to care for four children. To help provide for the family, his mother owned a small restaurant. Despite his young age, Bambam had a passion for dance, and his mother allowed him to partake in dance classes. When he debuted in GOT7, he earned enough money to buy his family a house.
4. BIGBANG's Taeyang
Though one of the biggest K-pop stars now, Taeyang grew up with much hardships. His family was so poor that they struggled to gather enough money to even provide them food. The hardships he went through is what caused him to pursue a career of an artist - to help his family.
5. INFINITE's Sunggyu
Sunggyu's family growing up were in a tight spot, and he often spent his time living at a friend's house. At his own home, his family was vehemently against his dream of becoming a singer. To support himself, he auditioned for numerous entertainment agencies and eventualy got accepted into Woollim Entertainment.
6. Gugudan's Sejeong
Sejeong once revealed on a variety show that her family was so poor, they received support from the government and she would buy meals using the Hungry Child Food Card she received as a child. She revealed during the holidays, when there would be no school, she would need to use her card as she could not get the free food her school offered.
Know any more idols who came from rough background? Tell us in the comments below.
