[Sportschosun reporter Cho Yoon-sun] Heo Jung-min, Kang Rae-yeon, and Seo Jae-kyung revealed the harsh filming conditions and corruption they experienced as child actors in the past.
On the 10th, a video titled "I definitely saw them back in the day... We invited child stars loved across generations, including Midal! | EP.31 Heo Jung-min, Kang Rae-yeon, Seo Jae-kyung" was released on the YouTube channel B-grade Studio.
That day, Kang Rae-yeon said, "Back then, child actors were not treated the way they are now. There was no sense of reward for the work I did, and there were no real protections for child performers."
She added, "Today's child actors make huge amounts of money. But in our time, there was a child actor ranking system. Because pay was based on grades, we were paid less just because we were child actors, even if we were popular."
Heo Jung-min also chimed in, saying, "There were five grades, from 1 to 5. The most successful kids were grade 5, and the least successful were grade 1."
Kang Rae-yeon said the highest she ever earned was 250,000 won per episode of a drama. She also recalled that child actors used to film all night. "Back then, we would shoot until the sun went down, film night scenes, then shoot day scenes again when the sun came up. Dissolves were part of everyday life," she said. Heo Jung-min added, "The parents really had it rough."
Seo Jae-kyung shocked viewers by saying, "It really felt like an unjust era back then. If we made a mistake, they did not just tap us lightly. They hit us so hard that I bled."
Kang Rae-yeon said bitterly, "The problem was that when they hit us, the child actors would get angry and push through it. Then, if we still could not cry in a crying scene, they would hit us until we did. That would be unthinkable now."
Seo Jae-kyung explained, "Usually it was the director who hit us. Of course, that was only a small number of people, and most were kind. But because of one or two people, the whole atmosphere ended up being shaped that way."
He also said, "Back then, people in the industry took a lot of bribes," adding, "Looking back, they did not say it openly, but they received alcohol, food, and gifts. All that is left now is debt."
Heo Jung-min also revealed, "They took a lot of bribes from mothers, promising to raise the child actor rankings," drawing surprise.
