Even though many celebrities are currently living the best life they could after gaining fame, it wasn’t always this good for them. They had to go through a lot of effort and struggles to reach this level. Their hardships are quite commendable which is why we should appreciate these stars more often. We should respect their journey as it is not easy to deal with huge criticism or having obsessive fans and still maintain your cool. The top ten Korean stars who have inspiring struggling stories are.
1. Hwasa
Ahn Hye-Jin, known as Hwasa, is a South Korean rapper, television personality, and singer who currently is signed with RBW. In 2014 she debuted as a member of Mamamoo. In an interview, she opened up and said that she heard people say that she is good and unique but is not pretty and fat. She has been trolled and talked about for not having typical looks. She is a queen who breaks all the stereotypes of the Korean entertainment industry, from her weight, to her skin color and carries herself with a badass attitude.
2. Taeyang
Dong Young-bae, known as Taeyang and SOL, is a South Korean songwriter, singer, and dancer. At the age of 12, he began training under YG Entertainment and in 2006, six years later, he made his debut as a member of the South Korean group Big Bang. At a young age when his family started struggling financially, he felt the need to find a job so he could help them.
3. Sulli
Choi Jin-Ri, known as Sulli, was a South Korean singer and actress. In the 2005 Ballad of Seodong, she made her debut as a child actress in a supporting cast. She took a hiatus from the K-pop world after getting continuous bullying and being trolled online. She openly spoke about cyberbullying and how mentally exhausting it was for her to deal with malicious comments all the time. In 2018 she revealed that she had social phobia and panic disorder and was struggling with it since she was young. She was suffering from severe depression before her death.
4. IU
Lee Ji-Eun, known as IU, is a South Korean actress, singer, record producer, and songwriter. Her family’s financial condition deteriorated while she was in elementary school. She and her younger brother lived in a studio room with their grandmother apart from their parents for over a year. She was even scammed during her trainee days where she was rejected and made to have multiple auditions to eventually make it into an entertainment company.
5. Rain
Jung Ji-hoon, known as Rain, is a South Korean dancer, singer, record producer, actor, and songwriter. He had quite a tragic childhood, he had to endure many hardships as a child, and he had to starve for several days straight due to a lack of food at home. His mother’s health got worse with time as they couldn't afford medication and she sadly passed away. In an interview, he recalled that he was repeatedly rejected due to his looks. He remembered in one audition his singing and dancing were considered great but he didn’t make it as he did not have double eyelids.
6. V
Kim Tae-Hyung, known as V, is a South Korean singer and a member of the group BTS. In elementary school aspired to be a professional singer and with his father's support, he started taking We all know that he doesn’t come from a well-off family. His mother bought him an expensive jacket so that he wouldn’t be bullied by others as a poor idol. He made it big and is loved by everybody.
7. Hyuna
Kim Hyun-ah, known as Hyuna, is a South Korean rapper, singer, model, and songwriter. In 2007 she debuted as a member of the group Wonder Girls. In 2019 through an Instagram post, she opened up about her health. She revealed that she was diagnosed with panic disorder and depression in 2016. She also said she experienced a foggy vision which caused her to collapse which she ignored thinking that it was due to depression. After visiting the doctor she got to know she had vasovagal syncope. On MBC’s Radio Star she opened up about her struggles, that for nearly 10 years she is struggling with vasovagal syncope.
8. Suga
Min Yoon-gi, known as Suga and Agust D, is a South Korean songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Everyone knows about his struggles. He openly talked about how before his parents were against his music career. To afford to live he had to work multiple jobs. Only recently he talked about his shoulder injury which got treated. He even struggled with depression and had suicidal thoughts in the past.
9. Dara
Sandara Park, known as Dara, is a South Korean actress, television presenter, and singer. She gained immediate fame in the Philippines as a singer selling millions of copies of her debut album. Her father was in charge of her finances and lost all of her money to his gambling addiction. She initially felt lonely in the Philippines as she wasn’t quite fluent in Filipino and even her pronunciation was not good.
10. Seo In-Guk
Seo In-guk is a South Korean singer, actor, and songwriter. He opened up about his family's struggles with finances and how even the basic and smallest necessities like food were a struggle for the family. Seo grew up in relative poverty, his father worked as a welder and his mother worked as a recyclables collector. At the age of 20, he moved to Seoul to pursue his dream of becoming a singer even though his father was against it. He struggled with bulimia for some time after being rejected repeatedly and was told to lose weight.
