[Sportschosun reporter Park A-ram] Singer Koo Chang-mo opened up about his unusual experiences from the period when he temporarily stepped away from music and ran an automobile business overseas.
In a preview video released on the 16th by Maeil Broadcasting Network (MBN)'s "Dongchimi," Koo Chang-mo and Kim Beom-ryong shared stories from the past. Koo recalled the early 1990s, when he earned substantial income from an automobile business in Central Asia.
Rumors even circulated at the time that Koo Chang-mo had made 40 billion won from the business. He laughed as he explained to Bae Chul-soo, who had heard the rumor, that the actual amount was not quite that high.
He said, "Bae Chul-soo told me there was a rumor that I had made 40 billion won there, so I said, 'Take one zero off that figure.' It wasn't around 40 billion won. I made a lot more than I did as a singer. That was in the early 1990s."
Considering that it was the early 1990s, the amount was substantial. Choi Hong-lim also could not hide his surprise as he recalled real estate prices at the time.
An even more surprising story followed. After selling cars locally, Koo did not deposit the money he received in a bank. Instead, he kept it at home.
Koo Chang-mo explained what happened at the time.
He said, "I couldn't deposit the money because I didn't trust the banks. When I sold a car, people brought cash and paid me directly."
He then placed the cash under his bed mattress. As the amount grew, the space beneath the bed effectively became a safe.
He said, "I laid all of it under the mattress. At one point, as much as 1 million dollars—approximately 800 million won at the time—was piled up there."
Based on the exchange rate at the time, it was cash worth hundreds of millions of won. Koo vividly recalled what it was like to live with so much money directly beneath him.
He laughed and said, "When there was money spread underneath me, I couldn't help but smile as I slept on top of it."
Yet having a lot of money did not necessarily bring peace of mind. He reportedly would wake up, turn on the light and check whether the cash was still all there.
He said, "I'd be sleeping like that and then turn on the light to check," amusing everyone with an unfiltered remark as he looked back on those days.
Singer Kim Beom-ryong, who was listening beside him, also remembered how Koo Chang-mo had changed after becoming a businessman.
Kim Beom-ryong said that whenever Koo returned to Korea during his business years, the entire atmosphere around him was different from his days as a singer.
He recalled, "When you came back to Korea occasionally while running your business, you had an aura about you. It was an aura I hadn't seen when you were a singer. You carried your shoulders a little higher. You had a different look in your eyes."
He also remembered that Koo Chang-mo's spending habits were extraordinary at the time.
He said, "You paid for everything. You told us, 'Don't worry. Just go.'"
Meanwhile, Koo Chang-mo made his debut as a member of Blacktetra's second lineup in 1978 and rose to fame after joining Songgolmae. He won widespread popularity with songs such as "You, Who I Met by Chance" and "I'll Love Everything." He later pursued a solo career and continued his successful run with hits including "HeeNaRi" and "Apeun Man-keum Seongsukhaejigo."
tokkig@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
