Popular Star Unveils The Shocking Elitism Within Korean Entertainment Industry
A popular actor and TV personality recently talked about the raw and unpleasant reality of the Korean entertainment industry as a whole.
Joo Woo Jae, a well-known model and actor, has spent over a decade in the industry, working in different fields such as modeling, acting, and radio broadcasting. In his recent YouTube appearance, Joo recalled how none of these industries ever accepted him as one of their own.
Joo talked about this intriguing topic during his guest appearance on the Fairy Jae Hyung YouTube channel on June 1, KST. While talking about his unconventional path to fame, the actor recalled that his journey began when he was in college and a candid street photo of him went viral, opening up the world of modeling to him. However, he mentioned that he kept pursuing backup career options as well, because he felt that he wasn’t on par with his peers, such as Byeon Woo Seok and Jang Ki Yong, to make it as a top model.
There were so many guys who were incredibly handsome and had amazing proportions, so I thought right away that I couldn’t be the best here…I had been doing some radio work little by little and also dabbling in a clothing business.
— Joo Woo Jae
Around the same time that he made his debut as a model, Joo got an offer from KBS Radio and ended up simultaneously launching his radio career.
Eventually, he also started working in broadcasting. Despite seeing success in all his different endeavors, Joo recalled having a hard time during those early years due to how cliquish each industry was.
In the broadcasting world, people would look at me and say, ‘He’s a model,’ while in the modeling world, they’d say, ‘He’s doing broadcasting. He’s not a real model.’
— Joo Woo Jae
One of the most discriminatory incidents that Joo talked about during this episode was how he was sidelined in the fashion world for not belonging to a modeling academy background.
Since I wasn’t from an academy background and came in suddenly through a special selection while I was just out on the streets, there was a lot of jealousy early on. Behind my back, some models even told designers they were close with not to cast me under any circumstances.
— Joo Woo Jae
His professional identity crisis worsened after Joo started acting. “But when I went into acting, people would say, ‘Isn’t he a TV personality?’ and wouldn’t see me as a proper actor,” he mentioned, recalling the painful ambiguity he found himself in.
Though the industry’s refusal to embrace his versatile identity and the blatant discrimination, Joo Woo Jae eventually overcame it all and proved his worth in each role. “In the end, isn’t it a strength that I can do all three? So what if it’s an ambiguous position? I can do broadcasts and walk the runway too,” he said while recounting how he changed his mindset to win over the difficult situation.
Joo Woo Jae’s perseverance reaped him rewards in plenty. Today, he stands tall as an established actor, known for his roles in K-Dramas such as Strong Girl Nam Soon and My Dearest. He is also a successful TV personality, appearing as a regular cast member on Hangout With Yoo.
