Park Seo-jin: "Lost everything to fraud, lived in rooftop rooms and semi-basements"

Singer Park Seo-jin has revealed the painful past of losing his entire fortune to a scammer he trusted during his years of obscurity. His story drew widespread sympathy as he shared how he moved to Seoul to pursue his dreams, only to be caught in a production investment scam that led to extreme financial hardship.

On the tvN STORY variety program 'Table Tales' broadcast on the 13th, communication expert Kim Chang-ok and singer Park Seo-jin appeared as guests to speak candidly about life's ups and downs alongside MC Lee Young Ja and Pak Se-ri.

During the episode, Park recalled how he began singing trot at a young age and the process of his eventual debut.

"I have been singing trot since I was very young," he said. "I first became widely known in 2008 when I appeared on SBS 'Star King' with the title 'Little Jang Yoon-jeong of Men.'"

He recalled pure childhood memories, saying, "After the broadcast aired, people in my neighborhood recognized me a lot. When I went to the market, they would support me so much that they would just give me fish cakes for free."

However, gaining fame through television did not immediately pave a smooth path to stardom.

When Lee Young Ja asked, "You went through so much hardship before winning 'Hyeonyeok Gawang 2' last year. I heard a story that you even lost money; is that true?" Park paused to choose his words before cautiously revealing his difficult past.

He reminisced about those times, saying, "As soon as I turned twenty, I rushed to Seoul. I had no connections, no opportunities to appear on broadcasts, and no one to connect me to events."

He explained, "Then, I happened to meet a director who was producing an outsourced program. He suggested, 'If you invest in the program production, I will give you a fixed appearance.'"

The problem was the massive production cost demanded in return.

Park said, "At the time, they demanded 10,000,000 won for production costs. But I only had 1,500,000 won in my hands. So I pleaded, 'Please take this money first, and I will pay the rest little by little.'"

Driven by desperation to achieve his dream, he gave all the money he had, but the result was disastrous.

"More than a year passed, but there was no word about the program production. Only then did I realize that I had been scammed," he said calmly.

The fraud immediately led to a struggle for survival.

Park confessed, "As even my living expenses ran out, I ended up losing my entire deposit. I moved between rooftop rooms and semi-basements, and sometimes I even lived in one corner of a shop."

The studio atmosphere instantly grew heavy.

Hearing this, Pak Se-ri could not hide her anger, saying, "People like that must definitely face the judgment of the law. Scammers must be caught and punished," while Lee expressed her sympathy, asking, "How much must you have cried?"

Park confessed his feelings at the time, saying, "I cried so much. I came to Seoul with the dream of succeeding and returning to my hometown with pride, but the reality was so different."

However, he did not give up singing.

When Lee noted, "It is amazing that you didn't give up on your dream even in such a situation," Park replied, "I was truly happy whenever I sang. Because of that happiness, I couldn't give up."

He added, "Afterward, appearing on KBS 'Morning Forum,' I was able to gradually make my name known, and from then on, new opportunities began to find me."

After enduring years of obscurity, Park significantly raised his public recognition through various competition programs.

Born in 1995, he built his reputation as a trot singer after years of performing at local events, eventually rising to the ranks of top-tier singers by competing in 'Mr. Trot 2' and ultimately winning 'Hyeonyeok Gawang 2.'

Currently, he is a beloved figure on the KBS2 variety show 'Mr. House Husband Season 2,' where he shows his unadorned daily life. Next month, he is scheduled to meet fans at the 'Hyeonyeok Gawang 3 with Hyeonyeok Gawang Family Festival - Busan Performance.'

His confession—that behind his brilliant success lay a period of enduring harsh trials—serves as a reminder of the value of perseverance and the strength required to never let go of hope.