Ji Seung Hyun Says He Made 1/10 Minimum Wage Even After 'Descendants of the Sun' Success

Actor Ji Seung Hyun opened up honestly about his financial struggles during his acting career.

On October 3, Ji Seung Hyun appeared on Shin Dong-yeob's YouTube show, "Donor Hyeong." 

During the show, Shin Dong-yeob asked, "When did you reach a point in your career, both financially and personally, where you thought, 'I should keep going as an actor'?"

Ji Seung Hyun replied, "People think that if you're on TV, you must be making a lot of money. 'Descendants of the Sun' was a huge hit, but in that year, I made like 2 million won (approximately 1,500 dollars) from acting. But people would still ask if I was moving to a nicer place, and that gap between their perception and reality made me feel uncomfortable."

He continued, "People assume I made a lot, but it was awkward to correct them. I also felt embarrassed in front of my parents, because they often heard comments like, 'Why aren't you moving to a nicer home? Your son is doing so well right now.' I've been acting for 18 to 19 years, but I've only been making as much as an average office worker for less than five years." 
Ji Seung Hyun further revealed, "When I wasn't earning enough as an actor, I often did part-time jobs. I worked at my cousin's curry place in Yeouido, and one day, one of my actor friends came to the restaurant. This was after I had already appeared in the movie 'Wish' and was getting small supporting roles in dramas. I wasn't ashamed of working, but I felt down because what I was doing wasn't 'my work.'"

He also shared, "Since it was in Yeouido, there were times when actors would come in after filming to eat with their managers and stylists. I thought, 'I should be doing my own work right now. What am I doing right now?' and I would feel a sense of self-doubt."

Ji Seung Hyun added humorously, "I even wore a hat and glasses to avoid being recognized. Looking back now, I probably didn't need to do that."
 
(Credit= '짠한형 신동엽' YouTube, KBS Descendants of the Sun) 

(SBS Star)