Choi Cheol-ho reveals why he took 1.5 million won for a TV appearance

Actor Choi Cheol-ho has opened up about the pragmatic reasons he decided to appear on television while working as a manual laborer loading and unloading delivery packages to make ends meet. The trajectory of an actor who once enjoyed significant recognition, only to face economic hardship and turn to daily labor following a drunk assault incident, illustrates how drastically a star's life can change.

On the 17th, Choi reflected on his acting career and long hiatus in a video released on the YouTube channel 'What Are You Doing These Days?'. The video, titled "'Shin Majok' from 'Rustic Period' Choi Cheol-ho, almost ruined his tearful acting because of 'dog meat Kim'?!", covers his representative works and the various ups and downs of his life.

Choi made a name for himself by appearing in major works such as KBS's 'Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin', 'The King Dae Joyoung', and MBC's 'My Wife Is A Super Woman'. He gained significant public recognition specifically for his role as Shin Majok in SBS's 'Rustic Period'. Known for his bold appearance and charismatic acting, he built a strong presence by moving between leading and supporting roles in both historical and modern dramas.

However, his seemingly solid career was shaken by a single incident. Choi caused controversy after relapsing into drinking and assaulting a junior female colleague, which led to a significant hiatus in his acting career. He stated that he admitted his mistakes and reflected on them at the time.

The aftermath of the incident extended beyond the loss of personal reputation. According to Choi, the money he had earned in the past was exhausted by various costs, including penalty fees, and his acting career did not resume as it had before. He explained that as his broadcast appearances decreased, he attempted to find a new path by starting a business related to studying abroad in Southeast Asia, but was met with the unexpected variable of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The collapse of his economic foundation, which forced him to settle his housing, placed significant psychological pressure on him. Recalling those days, Choi said, "It was vague. Because I had nowhere to go, I went to a motel first with whatever credit I had left on my card." He further shared his fear regarding extreme situations, stating, "I didn't want to die because I didn't have the courage."

After spending about a month relying on alcohol, Choi began working in delivery loading and unloading at the suggestion of a junior colleague. The actor who once stood before the camera under bright lights ended up performing physical labor at a logistics site. At that time, his daily wage for the delivery work was 180,000 won.

It was at that point that a proposal came from MBN's 'Scoop World'. Choi decided to film the broadcast to reveal his current status after a long time, citing the appearance fee as one of the decisive reasons.

He explained that for the third filming session of 'Scoop World', an appearance fee of 1.5 million won was proposed. In a situation where he was earning 180,000 won a day, 1.5 million won held a meaning far beyond a simple appearance fee. According to Choi's calculation, he would have to work for up to 9 days to earn the same amount through delivery labor.

"To earn 1.5 million won, I would have to work for a maximum of 9 days," Choi explained, describing the realistic motivation behind his decision. He added, "I filmed it, but I didn't know it would cause such a stir."

The broadcast drew a larger reaction than expected. As news spread that he had been working in delivery due to financial hardship, he received numerous contacts from people in his circle. The fact that an actor who once played major roles was working at a logistics site to make a living came as a shock to the public.

The noteworthy aspect of Choi's case is not simply the sensational narrative of a 'star's fall.' An entertainer's economic foundation is strongly linked to their visibility and appearances. While a steady income exists during their prime, a sudden halt in activity can cause previous consumption structures, living expenses, and business losses to act as simultaneous pressures. When combined with image damage and a hiatus, the time required for a comeback inevitably lengthens.

Choi did not frame his hiatus, which stemmed from his own mistakes, as a simple narrative of victimhood. After taking responsibility and reflecting on the assault incident, he chose delivery labor during his most difficult economic period, stepping away from the persona of an actor. He explained that his television appearance was not a grand strategy for image recovery, but a realistic choice to secure immediate living expenses.

In particular, his comparison between the 1.5 million won appearance fee and his 180,000 won daily wage symbolically demonstrates how desperate his financial situation was. It also reveals that for an actor who has lost their professional footing, appearing on camera can sometimes be a form of labor necessary for survival.

Recently, Choi has been communicating with the public by accepting his past mistakes and hiatus as parts of his life rather than hiding them. His journey—from the glory of his prime to his fall, business failures, the pandemic, and manual labor—shows that the lives of entertainers are subject to the same economic realities and sequences of choice as any other worker.

Ultimately, the most important factor is how one continues life after making mistakes without glorifying the past. Choi's story of working at a logistics site and accepting a 1.5 million won fee reveals the survival story of an actor hidden behind a glamorous career, proving that the process of taking responsibility and attempting a comeback is never a simple path.