Trot singer Hong Ja confessed about her difficult times as an unknown artist.
The recent update on Hong Ja was revealed on MBN's 'Exclusive World' broadcast on the afternoon of the 3rd.
Hong Ja, who debuted in the music industry in 2012 with 'Why Can't I Speak, Crybaby,' drew great attention with her heartwarming gomtang voice and outstanding performances after appearing on TV Chosun's 'Tomorrow is Miss Trot' in 2019, eventually earning 3rd place.
Having ended her eight years of obscurity through 'Miss Trot,' Hong Ja noted, "I thought that if I came on TV and received harsh criticism, I might really have nowhere else to go. I had the mindset that such an opportunity might not come to me again. I was very desperate."
Her brother and sister serve as her managers, and all three siblings are working together. Hong Ja said, "My father prefers country life over city life. He has been living alone in the countryside for 30 years, and my mother has struggled all those years with my father."
He continued, "My uncle and mother ran a business. Just when it seemed like things were getting better, my uncle began to get sick. He deteriorated rapidly due to cancer and passed away. At that time, we were very poor, and my mother had to earn money separately. It was just my younger sibling and me back then. I was young, but my younger sibling was even younger. I had to take care of my little sibling alone while my older brother was in the military."
This led Hong Ja to pursue a career as a trot singer. She said, "I thought I had a little talent for singing, and by a stroke of luck, I met a trot composer. They suggested that I try being a singer, thinking that if I succeeded, even though our family was scattered, we could come together again."
Afterward, the three siblings began working closely as a manager and artist. Hong Ja recalled, "After my debut, I was unknown for about eight years. I was offered 300,000 won to sing for 30 minutes, and when I finished performing, they would just say 'you did well' and send me off. I did not receive fair compensation for my performances. While living an unemployed life, I did various part-time jobs at convenience stores, pubs, and coffee shops, really just doing whatever I could find."
She said, "I also lived in a lodging house. It was the cheapest rent in Seoul. I lived in the worst cramped room of the lodging house, with no windows, to save about 50,000 won."
Hong Ja noted that the first thing she did with her earnings was pay off her mother's debts and restore her credit. She said, "My mother lived in a very poor attic room filled with mold. I couldn't provide her a nice house, but I did get her a rental house where she could live comfortably. I feel motivated to work for my family."
[Photo] OSEN DB, captured from the broadcast screen.
[OSEN]