[SBS Star] VIDEO: BTS SUGA Used to Sleep on a Thrown-out Mattress?

SUGA of K-pop boy group BTS looked back on his early days.

On March 2, actor Lee Sung-min made a special appearance on 'SuChwiTa', a video interview hosted by SUGA.

Even though it was their first time meeting each other, they bonded right away over their hometown, Daegu.

"I used to look up names of Daegu-born celebrities, and you were one of them. I thought to myself, 'Maybe if I succeed, someday I'll get to see him in person.'", SUGA said, for the day had finally arrived.

As they went on, the stars could not help but realize that they both had been through hard times, starting from the bottom.

Throughout the interview, they looked back on their past, dreams, and how far the journey has been.

When Lee Sung-min shared his story about what it was like at the beginning of his acting career, having a job in the theater, "I had to hand out countless flyers to advertise the theater, in Dongseungno, Daegu.", SUGA unwrapped his past, "I had a similar experience. I got my first job when I was a high school student, distributing posters. And you know what? I used to perform in Dongseungno, too."

"After the performance, they promised to pay us 150,000 won (approximately 115 dollars), for the entire crew. There were 7 of us. And it gets worse, as when we went down there to get the payment, they just gave us stuff, instead of money. Some objects or concert tickets. I got sick of that."
"To me, going through hardships and struggling didn't matter", Lee Sung-min remarked.

"However, when I got married, it became a whole different issue. After 6 years of marriage, I still had no income. I felt so sorry for my family."

As he confessed, SUGA replied, "We BTS members all went through difficulties, so I really feel you. As you know, it is such a struggle, to survive as an artist in the industry. The uncertainties terrified me. I distributed posters and had some gigs, but I didn't get paid."

"When I was in Daegu, my underground studio leaked when it rains. Plus, since I had no money in my pocket, I used to go outside and seek some thrown-out furniture to bring back with me. I picked up a mattress from the street and slept over it. That's where I started as a musician.", plainly, he got candid on his early struggles.

They both agreed that becoming successful in show business is no joke.

Lee Sung-min stated, "I don't want to encourage actors or musicians who are getting through difficult times to endure it. When people who want to be actor come and seek my advice, I usually tell them to think it over. It may sound harsh, but you really don't know how long it will take until you make it. It's not stable."
However, these two stars managed to make it to the top. The group BTS became a global phenomenon, and each member is on top of their career. And Lee Sung-min, 54, starred in countless films and television series, cementing his status as an iconic actor.

SUGA said the turning point of his life was auditioning for a spot in BTS.

"I had actually had it with Daegu. So I moved to Seoul, seeking an opportunity, and there I saw the audition poster. It was the first audition I took, which later led me to debut as a member of BTS. I think these kinds of fateful moments do exist.", SUGA explained.

Yet, it was not all roses. He revealed that he was still in the struggle even after he passed the audition, and how he made up his mind not to give up.

As a Daegu-born teenager, starting a career in Seoul got him tongue-tied. "I was overwhelmed. I was the only one in school who spoke in the Daegu dialect. Other students came over to my desk and got me to talk, as a joke. Everything was shifting, and I was only eighteen. I started living with the members, and there was a period when our company was on the verge of going down. They told me to move out. But I said I won't go back to my hometown."

"It was to do or die. At the very least, I had to have made it to my debut and television appearance before I go back. Even if I cave and return, I had to make folks in Daegu say, 'Well, at least he survived for three to four years of training in Seoul and debuted.'"
 
(Credit= 'BANGTANTV' YouTube, 'augustd' Instagram)

(SBS Star)