It is said that the entertainment industry is a field full of ups and downs, and it could not be truer for these five Korean actors.

More than a few of them faced financial hardship, others experienced career low points, and some simply came very close to walking away from acting completely—and went on to claim fame during their second, third, or fourth acts.

1. Kim Gun Woo

Even though he played a villain, Kim Gun Woo, who starred in the hit drama The Glory, was charmed by his brand presence. Gun Woo almost gave up acting altogether before he blew up.

The actor admitted he struggled with finances, telling his agency that, at one point, he'd even asked them for an advance.

Every time he went to audition and did not get them, he started losing faith and falling back into the feeling of being lesser than, especially around other more experienced actors.

Right when he was about to leave, Gun Woo got the gig of playing Myeongo in The Glory, and his passion for acting came back.

In an interview, Kono said, "I was confused and was at a loss as to what I should do." The drama catapulted his popularity from 2000 Instagram followers to 200,000.

2. Kim Joo Ryong

Kim Joo Ryoung, the actress who played Han Mi-nyeo in Netflix's hit thriller Squid Game has opened up about feeling close to giving up acting due to trim work.

Her husband—a professor at Texas State University — encouraged her to keep going, she said.

The unshakeable faith of her husband in her talent spurred her onto her feet from the low times.

Kim saw a soar in her social media following from 400 followers to 1.6 million after Squid Game became a worldwide hit.

3. Kim Myung Min

Kim Myung Min known for his roles in Immortal Admiral Yi and Law School, also faced difficult years early in his career. The year 2004 was his rock bottom, saying, "I had my mind made up that I was going never to act again."

Kim endured years of it, with films stuck in limbo, until finally landing roles in hit dramas mentioned earlier.

4. Jeon Yeo Bin

Jeon Yeo Bin or (Jeon Yeo Been) started acting at the age of 26, which is later than her peers. She gave herself a deadline, saying if she hadn't made it by 30, she would stop trying.

Her grit and desire to learn pushed her to keep going. As a sharp-tongued lawyer in Vincenzo, Jeon's breakout role solidified her as a rising star.