Kim Moo-yul: From Deliveries and Manual Labor in a Shantytown to Global Stardom After Wiping Out Wages to Cover 300 Million Won in Debt [SC Zoom]

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[Sportschosun reporter Kim Joon-seok] As actor Kim Moo-yul drives the global No. 1 craze with the Netflix series "Teach You a Lesson," renewed attention is being paid to his heartbreaking past, when he supported his family by pouring all of his roughly 300 million won in earnings into medical bills and debt repayment and even endured life in a shantytown.

The Netflix series "Teach You a Lesson" has continued its hot streak, reaching No. 1 in the global TV show (non-English) category just three days after its release.

In the series, Kim Moo-yul plays Na Hwa-jin, an inspector at the School Rights Protection Bureau. With powerful action scenes and solid acting, he is leading the production and earning praise from viewers both in Korea and overseas.

Along with the show's success, Kim Moo-yul's past life is also being revisited.

In the past, Kim Moo-yul became the head of the household after his father suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. With his younger brother also serving in the military, he was effectively the family's only income earner.

To cover living expenses and hospital bills, he took on whatever work he could find, including delivery jobs, handing out flyers, newspaper delivery, manual labor and building security.

At the time, his agency said Kim Moo-yul earned about 300 million won while supporting his family, but that all of it went toward his father's hospital bills and the family's debts.

It was also reported that, despite having income, he continued living in a shantytown on a hillside, drawing sympathy.

Kim Moo-yul also spoke candidly about his difficult family circumstances on a past appearance on tvN (Total Variety Network)'s variety show "You Quiz on the Block."

He recalled, "My mother was caught in a scam related to the sale of commercial property. As several problems piled up, our family finances worsened badly." He added, "People even came to our house and put a red tag on it, and things were so hard that my mother had to borrow money from neighbors just to pay for bus fare."

He went on, "At first, my father opposed my acting, but later, after I started appearing in dramas, I heard that he bragged about me to people around him. That was when we were living in a shantytown on a hillside." He added, "I worked so many jobs that I can't even remember them all, including delivery part-time work, handing out flyers, newspaper delivery, manual labor and building security."

Amid those financial hardships, Kim Moo-yul was exempted from military service in 2010 for reasons of "difficulty maintaining a livelihood," but after misunderstandings and controversy over his military status continued, he chose to enlist voluntarily in 2012 and completed his active-duty service.

Interest is also being renewed in his love story with his wife, Yoon Seung-ah, who stood by him through those difficult years. The two began dating publicly in 2012, married in 2015, and welcomed a son in 2023.

One especially memorable episode, in which Kim Moo-yul accidentally made a message meant for Yoon Seung-ah public on Social Network Service (SNS), revealing their relationship, is still remembered as one of the entertainment industry's signature love stories.

Meanwhile, the Netflix series "Teach You a Lesson," starring Kim Moo-yul, depicts the efforts of the School Rights Protection Bureau, which was created to restore order to an education system undermined by students and parents who cross the line.

Based on a popular webtoon of the same name, the series became a global hit soon after its release and continues the "Teach You a Lesson" phenomenon.

narusi@sportschosun.com