Vanished actor Yang Dal-saem: Living as an urban farmer for 17 years

The current life of actor Yang Dal-saem, who gained recognition through films and music videos in the early 2000s, has been revealed. After his acting opportunities dwindled, he faced financial hardships and has spent the last 17 years carving out a new life as an urban farmer.

Recently, the YouTube channel 'Scoop World-The Man from Back Then' drew attention by re-releasing footage of Yang that was originally featured in episode 594 of MBN's 'Scoop World' (broadcast in August 2023).

In the video, Yang revealed his daily life as an urban farmer, cultivating various crops on a rooftop in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

The rooftop featured a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon, oriental melon, grapes, and hardy kiwi. The footage also showed him practicing natural farming methods, even raising chickens himself.

Recalling his days as an actor, Yang reminisced, "When I first started acting, I was truly lucky."

He said, "I appeared in music videos by famous directors, and there were people who recognized me when I walked down the street. I think I received many better opportunities than others."

In the early 2000s, Yang gained attention for his exotic looks and unique image, appearing in several works including the films 'Beast', 'Mrs. Kwon Soon-bun's Kidnapping Case', and 'Seven Days'.

However, those glamorous days did not last long.

As time passed, acting offers gradually decreased, and he confessed that he faced a situation where it was difficult to make a living solely as an actor.

"I worked in the directing and production departments, and I even worked as a manager," he confessed. "I also made compost and worked as a tutor. I did everything as long as it made money."

While he did not give up his dream of being an actor, realistic difficulties persisted, and he ultimately had to drift through various jobs to make ends meet.

A turning point in his life came when he started farming.

Yang said, "As I hit rock bottom in life, I often thought that I wasn't respected by anyone. But after starting farming, I experienced being recognized and respected by people."

He continued with a smile, "I used to get angry a lot, but my mind has become much more peaceful through farming. I don't have fans as an actor, but now there are people who cheer for me as a farmer."

He stated that farming went beyond a simple livelihood and even changed his attitude toward life.

Recalling early trial and error, he said, "I thought plants would grow better if they received more light, so I kept the lights on for 24 hours a day, but they all died instead."

He calmly shared, "It can't be that the day is too long, nor can it be that the night is too long. In the past, I lived only chasing the light. But while growing plants, I realized that life also needs balance."

Having found a new meaning in life through farming, he has also grasped his dream of acting once again.

At the end of the video, Yang revealed himself taking profile photos for the first time in a long while, saying, "I want to start again, even if it is just a small role."

He expressed his will to stand before the public again as an actor, stating, "I plan to take on challenges step-by-step, starting from minor auditions."

After changing the direction of his life from an actor receiving glamorous Spotlight to an urban farmer, Yang is living while discovering new values in nature. Farming, which was once a choice for survival, has now become another part of his identity, and he is cautiously making a challenge toward his old dream of being an actor again.