Before fame and fortune, some Korean celebrities struggled to book acting jobs and had to work odd jobs to sustain their living.
These stars had to go through hardships before their journey to stardom.
From Hallyu celebrities to rising actors, these Kdrama stars had unexpected careers before their rise to fame.
Ahn Bo Hyun
Considered one of the fastest rising stars in K-dramaland, Ahn Bo Hyun managed to land lead roles after gaining popularity as the villain in "Itaewon Class," starring Park Seo Joon.
Since then, viewers have often seen him working alongside versatile and top-notch stars like Park Hee Soon and Han So Hee in Netflix's "My Name," Kim Go Eun in "Yumi's Cells," and his recent "Military Prosecutor Doberman" with Jo Bo Ah.
Interestingly, before his male lead status, he played a bit part in "Descendants of the Sun," starring Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo. he played one of the soldiers under the Alpha Team Captain Yoo Shi Jin.
During his appearance in JTBC's Knowing Bros back in 2020, Ahn Bo Hyun revealed his struggles as a rookie actor.
As obtained by an outlet, the actor shared that he worked as a part-timer in construction even after the K-drama was aired.
His friends back in his hometown thought that he was already living the lifestyle like Song Joong Ki. Thankfully all his hard work has paid off as he now rakes millions in net worth.
Lee Joon Gi
Long before his recognitions and blockbuster Kdramas and movies, Lee Joon Gi reportedly worked at several part-time jobs.
According to a report, he would wait tables at a bar while doing auditions. However, he had a pretty interesting job when he worked as a CF model for a mukbang advertisement.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Dancer Lee Joon Gi? Actor Wows Instagram Followers With Striking Cover of PSY's 'That That'
Interestingly, this was also the start of his modeling career and he eventually transitioned as an actor.
Kim Tae Ri
Before becoming Na Hee Do, whom every viewers fell in love with, Kim Tae Ri also worked odd jobs to support her living expenses.
At the time, she was working a part-time job while studying at a university.
Kim Tae Ri used to work in a cafe selling soy milk. Interestingly, this is also where she was scouted, and the rest is history for the actress.
Lee Yoo Mi
Lee Yoo Mi gained the hearts of a global audience after starring in two mega-hit series.
First is her role as Jung Ho Yeon's newfound friend in "Squid Game," followed by a villain role in "All of Us Are Dead."
However, before starting out in the industry, she revealed that work as a food delivery rider during her earlier years in acting.
During her interview with Cosmopolitan Korea, Lee Yoo Mi said that whenever she didn't have a project lined up, she would work as a rider for a food delivery service called Coupang Eats.
Now, it seems like she won't be working on the app for quite some time since the actress is booked and busy in the coming years.
Lee Yoo Mi recently confirmed that she'll join the upcoming sequel for "Strong Woman Do Bong Soon."
