Actor Im Joo-hwan's work history at a Coupang logistics center has been confirmed as true and has drawn support, while Jung Sung-il's past confession has been reexamined, bringing renewed attention to actors' realistic livelihood structures.
On the 27th, Im Joo-hwan's agency Basecamp Company told OSEN, "During a past gap between projects, he worked at a Coupang logistics center." Recent eyewitness accounts that spread through online communities have been confirmed as true. He is currently preparing his next project, and that work has already ended.
Debuting in 2003 and having played leading roles in numerous dramas and films, the fact that he worked as a temporary laborer at a logistics center came as quite a surprise. However, with an industrywide downturn marked by fewer productions and reduced investment, some say it was a natural choice.
This trend is not limited to Im Joo-hwan's individual case. Actor Jung Sung-il, who drew great attention for Netflix's The Glory, has said he continued doing substitute driving, valet parking and Coupang deliveries to make ends meet even after his projects became popular. He said, "The appearance fees were not large and I had debts, so I did part-time jobs to live," and "I was able to stop part-time work only after I could support myself through acting alone."
Jung Sung-il also noted, "Many actors prepare for auditions and endure uncertain times," mentioning the structural insecurity of the acting profession. Because income occurs only when there are projects, if gaps between projects lengthen, the burden of livelihood inevitably increases.
Recently, the number of film productions has decreased, drama investment has been cut and large projects centered on OTTs have concentrated, reducing opportunities to appear. Critics say the concentration of personnel in a few large productions has become entrenched, while many other actors and staff face long gaps between work.
The cases of Im Joo-hwan and Jung Sung-il are being seen as a facet that shows the unbalanced reality of the acting profession, contrary to the notion that stars equal stable, high incomes. In a structure where income varies greatly depending on whether there are projects, cases of people juggling various jobs to make a living continue, and empathy and support for them are growing.<
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]