0:16-0:28 JYJ’s Kim Jaejoong, in order to become a singer, went up to Seoul at the age of 16 and it is said that there is nothing he did not do. He appeared in the movie Taegeukgi as an extra and he even sold chewing gum in restaurants.
This also made the print media:
I was a Student Part-Timer. The Peculiar Pasts of the Stars
JYJ’s Kim Jaejoong (25) who went up to Seoul with the mindset that he wanted to be a singer challenged himself at a variety of part time jobs in order to make a living in a foreign place. In 2009 on KBS 2TV’s “Happy Together” he let out the stories of having appeared as a member of the Chinese Reds in the movie Taegukki prior to his debut and of having sold chewing gum in restaurants because had did not have 150,000 KRW (approximately 150 USD) for his room-rent. The story that a lady in a supermarket who took pity on him and handed him the money saying “I will buy the leftover things so you go ahead and quit doing this” tugged the heartstrings and left warmth.
(Parts unrelated to Jaejoong omitted)
Source: VisualJYJ; Sports Seoul
Translation Credit: JYJ3
JYJ3 
I rememberJaejoong talking about this on Happy Together..he even said one lady helped him and bought all his gums and gave her his thanks…
On the matter of “Taegeukgi ” i love that movie. I recommend you guys to watch it.
awwwwww….so nice ❤ the lady was so kind *_* jaejoong is loved everywhere he goes!!! even before he debuted! how alsome ^^
Sweet and heart touching story. True and raw past life of a successful artist: Kim Jaejoong, the man behind the star. A truly wonderful, humble and grateful human being.
yes it’s true
everytime i saw or read his past story really make me so touched and sometimes my eyes began teary because of this
but i’m really glad and thanks to God coz when Jae became a star like now, he wasn’t be a greedy and used his money for something like dissipite but he became a truly wonderful, humble and grateful human being.which bring him to be loved more by others people
Yap… Our poor angel~
This is one of the thing that really pulls me into liking him so much~
The hardship he had to endure and all the bad stuff that happened to him now are terrible….. And yet, he remains strong and undeterred. He has my backing… Always!
@Miaw, @Shadow, sweethearts
That’s why I love Jae so much too. He’s different, he’s special, he has a wonderful soul.
@shuheilove
Yes… He’s such a kind soul that even during his difficult times during trainee days, he can still lend a helping hand to others!
@Shadow, hello babe.
Jae is generous and sweet hearted. Wonderful boy.
Don’t we just love him. 🙂
With all our heart. Sweet boy.
@shadow @shuheilove
yes we love him with all our heart 🙂
Jae harsh life until now really give me more and more thing that can be learn….not something that i can learn from book but learn about how to be a better person, how to be someone who appreciate another person or appreciate how beautifull this life if u see from a positive ways
incredibly well said!!!! (clap clap)
Thank you sis.
these guys have all gone thru various hardships to be where they are today. it is what makes them so strong and so humble and so special, they are really an inspiration to others to never give up and find a way to acheive your dreams. and learn to accept things you cannot control. there are guardian angels watching over us.
Ooh…just love what you said.
I remember this all too well. I almost cried..but now…NOW he’s Kim PD-nim and one of the best loved artists in Asia and soon the world. I’m so proud of him and will continue to be 🙂
Such a hard working man… *sigh*
I really admire him! One of the many reasons why I love him!
Jaejoong… I´m proud of be your fan!
my heart always JUMPS a little when they say JYJ ! i’m glad that they.re recognized as JYJ now :] am i selfish that I want them to establish themselves apart from DBSK ?
for everything JYJ went though from they youth unstill now i think they can make a really good moives!! really admire them!!!!!!!
Read about his past always makes me cry!… He is such a hardworking person… He left his house and moved to another place to follow your dreams… that’s amazing!… I’m so proud of JJ… For this, I love him!!
But I have a question… I know that he had been selling gum… but…
IS TRUE THAT HE HAD BEEN SELLING HIS BLOOD FOR MONEY??… Because when I read that… I cried so much and I felt so bad for him… But I’m glad that the life is giving him what he deserves!.. JJ Fighting!! ^^
No, he didn’t sell his blood. He donated his blood where he recieved crackers/biscuits to lessen his hunger…
He was so poor that he didn’t have money to buy food to eat. Since the blood donation center actually gives out bIscuits and stuff after a person donates his blood, he did it.
And, he also joined a coke drinking contest as well. Apparently, he drank so much that he threw up and then he developed a fear of coke!
I don’t know if he is still afriad of drinking coke but that certainly left a ‘deep’ impression on him.
Poor thing~~
And because of his many sufferings, he is so special nowadays.
the part which really made my heart ached everytime i read his life story is when he he had been starving for two days,until he don’t have an energy for walking but with the pressure of he has to pay for his classes, he still went to work. after that, when he he saw a customer has left more
than half bowl of his noodle soup,and coz he couldn’t take
the hunger anymore, he picked up a spoon with his shaking hand and started to eat the left over noodles.
it’s really make my eyes teary……just for rent a room and pay his lesson he must working hard like this…..it’s really touched but also inspiring story for everyone who has a dream
Very painful story but at the same time, it makes me admire Jaejoong’s courage and determination even more. Because of his stong will, he’s a winner in life today.
@miaw
Well… you made me cry!… That’s so sad… but, When was that?… In his pre-debut days or before?… and, How the fans known these stories?… Sorry, but I’m “new” in this fandom… I only have 1+ year
“it’s really touched but also inspiring story for everyone who has a dream”
THIS!… I’m totally agree with you!!… Jae is too special for words!…
@SayuJJ
it’s when he pre-debut before he donated his blood i think
i know from some fansite
maybe u can just google with Jaejoong life story
his life really a real drama
i really wish someday his life can be a movie or book
Yup, most SM trainees had SM paid for classes, but Jaejoong did not get that. He had to work to earn money and pay for thoses.
@miaw, yap, i watched a show when he told that story (or i read it?) and i remember he said that when he realized that he ate the leftover noodle, he cried n thought that ‘it isnt suppose to be like this’… i remember i cried when i heard (or read) he said those TT_TT
@miaw I just read this story, coz I’m really a newby in JYJ fandom. OMG, did he really eat leftover?? My eyes started to get teary. I didn’t know that he really was that suffering, was that during the training days?? And yet sm told the public that all trainees’s expenses paid by sm? Expenses that’s include buy something for eat sm!! not just for classes!!!
The rough experience that our JJ’s been trough really made who he really is today. A very humble, strong and kind person that we all love.
JJ, fighting!!
Thanks for the explanation, girls!!
He donated his blood for biscuits… OMG!!.. that is even more sad!!
The life have been so hard for him, but he is so gentle, humble, kind…
Sometimes I can’t believe that JJ is real… He’s too much for my understanding… Really, I love him, but I admire even more… He is my model in life!!… He inspires me and give me strength to keep fighting for my dreams… Days like this I thank God for have created someone like Jaejoong ❤
@SayuJJ
“Days like this…”
Are you having a tough day sweetie? *hugs*
@Shappire
No, it’s only that I get very emotional when I read things like this!… But anyways… Thanks for asking, dear!! ^^… You are really a kind and sweet girl ^^
Man Jaejoong is really an inspiration! He went through so much…….from being poor and unknown to wealthy and one of Asian’s most popular idol/artist.
Actually all the artists who have gone have very humble beginnings are admirable, it shows us that if you try and work hard enough you will reach your dreams~
JYJ Fighting!
*edit* artists who have gone through very
Is it true thay Jaejoong had ever sold his blood? I’ve read at one website that he went to the radio station and he cried after he told about his life before debute.
However every painful experience made him to be him now. He is so humble, so nice and care of everyfan.
no. he didn’t sell his blood. but donated it frequently to get the free crackers.
that’s even more sad ;-;
aw man he deserves EVERYTHING he has now and MORE
man those SM bastards…making his life worse even after he had to go through this already. man they have no heart /:
Yeah, I listened to the audio tapes of the radio interview when he talked about it. I think all of DBSK cried at that time too. It was very sad. I don’t remember the link or I would have posted it on here.
He had come from a long way right? Makes me wanna work harder.
I admire him not only because of all the hardship he overcame but also because he never mentioned it. The only time that he mentioned it is in Happy Together, just to show his gratefulness to the lady he met in the supermarket.
He also talked about it during a radio interview. It was one of the few times (probably the only time) that I saw/heard JJ crying so hard he could barely talk. All of DBSK cried too and I was yelling at the interview to stop asking him the questions. It was so sad.
@xiahjunsubias
do you have any link for those interview coz i’m really want to heard it and all of this time i tried to search those interview but i can’t find it
jaejoong so lovely and this video resurface out of no way…I remember they show Yoochun in NRG concert too… I guess , this will hunted them forever..^____^
he tried hard by honest means every hard step on the way to achieve his dreams. so its good he will not allow ppl to just step on him to achieve theirs. such a good man Jaejoong..kindhearted and with the right convictions
Why are the press talking about jae’s past now? this is old news…
Im always suspicious with Korean press…
Im always suspicious with Jae’s past..something in my heart tell me that this isn’t the only thing that he did in past…i dont know why…
Can someone understand me?
@Kanu, dear
Don’t let your thoughts run wild on this issue, please.
@kanu, sweetheart…
No need to be paranoid about this. Go back up to the article and see that they stripped out the parts that did not include Jaejoong. There were others in the article as well. See the photos? It was just the theme of the article and they used Jae as well.
Quite frankly, the more people learn about the humble beginnings of all the guys, and compare the structure at SME, trust me, this doesn’t hurt them in the least.
Information like this simply highlights what bloodsuckers SME and crew are to continue and blackball them in the industry. These are young men who have WORKED all their lives for what they have. They have never tried to rip anyone off! They haven’t sat in cushy offices, leaning back in comfortable chairs, pushing papers around on a desk! Not to mention, reaping ALL the profits and giving back none!
By the looks of the photos, he’s in some very good heavy company.
@ kanu
I don’t think there is anything bad in Jae’s past or he did anything he would be afraid of ( or any of JYJ ) because then SM would have used it to keep them in submission or to ruin them by now .
so don’t think about things like that .
What do you mean? …
@Kanu … What do u mean??
nothing…nothing….*sigh* im going to take te first advice:”Don’t let your thoughts run wild on this issue, please.”
So im stoping to think stupid things in my head 🙂
he rise his succes use his hand….just proud off him.
“Why are the press talking about jae’s past now? this is old news…
Im always suspicious with Korean press…” – – – I guess, there will be more news on Jaejoong because of his role in world-class events. I just hope the press will give him good and fair review over his works.