Top Actor Shares Shocking Accounts Of Abuse He Endured On Set When He Was A Rookie

Nam Koong Min spoke about the abuse of power that takes place in the entertainment industry.

On July 26, Nam Koong Min appeared on tvN‘s You Quiz On The Block. On this day, the actor spoke about how he was mistreated when he was a rookie actor.

When I was a rookie, I was so passionate about acting. It was to the point that when I was mistreated on set, I wasn’t hurt by it.

— Nam Koong Min

The actor then shared a couple of incidents in which he was blamed for something he didn’t do.

One time while acting, the wind blew the lights down. Although it wasn’t my fault, a staff member screamed and cursed at me. All I did was stand there.

Every NG was blamed on me. I would then apologize and say that I would do better. Because I’d apologize with a loud voice, I was always a target

— Nam Koong Min

Yoo Jae Suk then consoled Nam Koong Min and stated that the staff members must have felt it was okay to treat the actor that way. Nam Koong Min, however, shared that despite being mistreated, he was happy because he was able to act.

When I played smaller roles, I was always cursed out. I always started off (being treated) as a dog. I was just always cursed at. But I was happy because I got to act.

— Nam Koong Min

Nam Koong Min then revealed that on one occasion, a director ordered him to drink soju from a tall glass (soju is usually consumed out of a shot glass) for no reason. The actor revealed that he felt he had to drink the glass, or he would have been cursed out.

Yoo Jae Suk then chimed in and revealed a similar incident that he had gone through.

I don’t know why people do that when first becoming acquainted. I can’t drink, so when someone would do that to me, I’d refuse the drink. The directors would then tell me not to and then kick me off the program.

Back then, that’s how people became close. I struggled with this. I thought about drinking it, but I couldn’t.

— Yoo Jae Suk

Despite being mistreated, both Nam Koong Min and Yoo Jae Suk have since become titans of their industries. Today, Nam Koong Min is widely regarded as one of Korea’s most bankable actors, while Yoo Jae Suk is considered the most beloved celebrity in Korea.