Making it big in the entertainment industry is not a walk in the park, and even top Korean celebrities like Song Joong Ki and Jang Hyuk also struggle during their rookie days.
These stars had a rough start as newbie actors but were able to work their way up and are now considered K-drama's top stars.
From then newbies to Hallyu stars, these 4 Korean celebrities encountered struggles during their early years in the industry.
Song Joong Ki
The 36-year-old A-lister recently revealed his experience when he was just starting out.
Song Joong Ki shared in a YouTube video alongside fellow HISTORY D&C stars how he started as an actor.
He recalled the time when he would audition even for minor roles and had a hard time landing acting jobs because he didn't have an agency back then and was working as a freelancer.
Fortunately, he was able to land his first-ever on-screen appearance, thanks to his college senior. It was for the 2007 SBS series, "Get Karl! Oh Soo Jung."
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During the filming, the actor mentioned how he was starstruck by Sung Dong Il, who is considered one of the great veteran actors in K-drama.
In addition, Song Joong Ki had a speaking line after being selected to portray Reporter 3. To his surprise, he was confronted by two actors portraying reporters 1 and 2 questioned him about his role.
He recalled, "They asked me how I got the role. I didn't know why they were asking that. But then I realized later on that the competition is fierce in this world."
Years later, his hard work paid off as Song Joong Ki is among the highest-paid and sought-after stars in K-drama.
Jang Hyuk
Apart from the Hallyu star, the equally talented Jang Hyuk also has his fair share of struggles as a rookie actor.
According to an outlet, the "Bloody Heart" star once revealed that although he has management looking after him, he would make over 20 hot dogs for his talent agency so the staff would notice him.
Moreover, during his rookie days, Jang Hyuk reportedly was often judged by others that he wouldn't make it in the industry because some thought that he had no potential to be an actor.
Interestingly, the outlet also mentioned that he once made hot dogs for Jun Ji Hyun, who was his co-star in "Windstruck" turned celebrity friend and g.o.d.
Now, Jang Hyuk has a slew of achievements and blockbuster K-dramas and movies under his belt.
He recently made a comeback to the small screen with the historical K-drama "Bloody heart" with Lee Joon and Kang Han Na.
Kim Seon Ho
Before earning his moniker, K-drama's "good boy," Kim Seon Ho, was among a few stars who made their acting debut quite a bit late.
Despite being a theater actor, he struggled to book roles and would go to every audition to get small roles.
At 31, he made his first on-screen appearance in 2017's "Good Manager," followed by his first lead role for "Strongest Deliveryman," and the rest is history.
Interestingly, Kim Seon Ho's breakthrough performance was in the 2020 tvN series "Start-Up" with Bae Suzy and Nam Joo Hyuk.
Jeon Yeo Been
Before snagging a nomination for her role in "Vincenzo," Jeon Yeo Been almost quit her dream to become an actress.
According to Tatler Asia, she made her debut at the age of 26 and started looking for acting opportunities in independent films.
With Jeon Yeo Been struggling to book even small-screen roles, she reportedly made a promise to quit acting if she failed to score a project at the age of 30.
However, with her patience and determination, she is currently among K-drama's rising stars.
