[Sportschosun reporter Lee Ji-hyun] Actor Dong Hyun-bae revealed his special affection for his younger brother, Taeyang of BigBang. After recently opening up about what it was like to live behind the label "Taeyang's older brother," he went on to say, "I respect my younger brother as an artist," while also revealing that he was a first-generation member of BigBang's official fan club, V.I.P.
On the 23rd, Dong Hyun-bae naturally began talking about his younger brother Taeyang and BigBang after hearing a BigBang song playing somewhere while chatting with acquaintances on his YouTube channel, "Unknown Actor Dong Hyun-bae."
Dong Hyun-bae said he had attended a BigBang concert for the first time in years and exclaimed, "It was really amazing. The guys were amazing."
He also spoke candidly about how he feels toward his younger brother Taeyang. Dong Hyun-bae said, "I respect my younger brother so much as an artist, and I love my younger brother's music so much."
He added that he looks at Taeyang "sometimes as a fan and sometimes as a dependable older brother." When an acquaintance asked, "Are you a true fan?" Dong Hyun-bae replied without hesitation, "I sure am."
The conversation even produced proof that he has been a longtime BigBang fan. When asked, "Are you a V.I.P.?" Dong Hyun-bae replied, "I was in the first generation," drawing attention.
However, when asked whether he bought the merchandise, he prompted laughter with a typically down-to-earth sibling response. Dong Hyun-bae initially acknowledged receiving items from his younger brother, asking, "Do you think I bought them?" He then clarified, "I must have gotten them from him. But after that, I bought them myself."
When an acquaintance sitting beside him also said they owned many of Taeyang's albums, Dong Hyun-bae joked, "Thank you. Thanks to you, my younger brother can make a living. Thanks, my friend."
Dong Hyun-bae's sincere feelings when talking about his younger brother had also come through in the first YouTube video he recently released. In a video titled "I Have Lived Trapped for 20 Years," released on the 16th, Dong Hyun-bae opened up in depth for the first time about what it was like to live for so long with the label "BigBang's Taeyang's older brother."
He said that even close friends and his maternal uncle introduce him to others as "Taeyang's older brother," but clarified that he did not resent his famous younger brother or reject the label. Rather, he confessed that he had been careful about his own behavior because he felt it could affect his family.
Dong Hyun-bae confessed, "Without even realizing it, I too had this framework of 'I can't do this, I can't do that' because I was 'Taeyang's older brother.' It's not just about me, is it? My family is something I have to protect, right? I think I've lived that way for 20 years without even realizing it."
He also said that he had never relied on his younger brother during financially difficult times. Although he had borrowed money from his parents, he had never asked Taeyang for financial help, explaining, "Because he's my younger brother." In an earlier interview, he described Taeyang as "someone I want to protect even at the end of the world."
Meanwhile, Dong Hyun-bae has continued his acting career since appearing in the 2006 film Love Me Not. He has also appeared in various productions, including Shut Up Flower Boy Band, Hit the Top, Prison Playbook and Vincenzo.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
