"Bank account balance 1.06 million won?" Kwak Yoon-gi, honest post-retirement life amid 'poverty cosplay' controversy... mixed responses of support and criticism
'The living legend of short track' Kwak Yoon-gi is drawing attention by revealing his changed life after retirement.
In a preview of TV CHOSUN's My Way–Overinvolvement Club released on the 22nd, Kwak checked his bank account on his phone as soon as he woke up, and the balance shown on the screen was only 1.06 million won. The producers grabbed viewers' attention with the caption "short track national team member Kwak Yoon-gi, bankrupt?"
Afterward, Kwak revealed a frugal lifestyle of collecting plastic bottles and picking up empty bottles on the street to save living expenses. At a meal with singer Yunho Yunho, he proposed a thigh-wrestling bet to pay for the meal, saying "let's save even a single penny," which drew laughs.
Earlier he appeared on MBC's Save Me! Homes and candidly shared realistic worries after retirement. "Having trained for 30 years, concepts like owning a home feel unfamiliar," he said, adding, "I am currently living like an unemployed person." He also mentioned that after his jeonse lease expired, his loan limit was restricted while searching for a new home, which elicited sympathy.
But when the "1.06 million won in the bank" clip was released as a broadcast preview, some internet users criticized it as "poverty cosplay." Netizens reacted uncomfortably, saying, "You have 900,000 YouTube subscribers and even appear on broadcasts, but you really only have 1.06 million won left?" and "it feels overly staged."
Others said in support, "It could be real. It's showing the reality of retired athletes," "It's sad that even a national team gold medalist faces this reality," and "Kwak Yoon-gi is more human because he's honest."
Kwak ended his short track national team career in May this year and currently runs a YouTube channel, Kkakjaba Yoon-gi. He recently revealed a three-room studio he secured on a jeonse lease and said, "I'm starting again as an ordinary young man, not as an athlete."
Although he left the ice, Kwak Yoon-gi is still challenging himself on a new path. Despite the 'poverty cosplay' controversy, many fans are sending messages of support, saying "run forward vigorously like Kwak Yoon-gi."
[Photo] OSEN DB, broadcast screen