Removed from show for refusing to drink: Yoo Jae-suk and Namkoong Min discuss power abuse in South Korean showbiz

Abuse of power in the workplace is a heinous thing, and South Koreans even have a term for it — gapjil.

Remember the "nut rage" incident with the Korean Air heiress? That was a prime example of gapjil, and even showbiz is not exempt from it.

Appearing on yesterday's (July 26) episode of variety show You Quiz on the Block, actor Namkoong Min discussed with hosts Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho how he was mistreated during his early days.

"When I was a rookie, my passion for acting was overflowing. Even if I was treated ridiculously on set, it didn't hurt me," said the 45-year-old, who's known for his leading roles in Hot Stove League (2019) and One Dollar Lawyer (2022).

"Once while I was acting, the wind blew and the lighting stand collapsed. It wasn't my fault, but they still cursed at me. I was just standing still."

Min added that he was treated like the "root cause of all NGs".

"Because I would say things like, 'Sorry, I was wrong. I'll do it again, I'll do better', I was always the target."

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Jae-suk, 50, asked Min if back then, he had become someone who thought the way he was treated was "good enough".

Min responded in the affirmative, adding: "At that time, I was so passionate that I didn't feel their treatment of me was unfair, but if I faced the same situation now, I would curse."

Min added that he didn't "feel sad at all" when he returned home after work back then, because he was simply happy he got to act in the first place.

Jae-suk responded: "If I were you, I would have burst into tears on set. Your mental fortitude is amazing."

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Min brought up another incident where he was mistreated, saying: "After filming, the directors gave me a lot of soju to drink. I drank and passed out.

"When I think about it, whether I drank or not, I was constantly cursed at."

Jae-suk was also asked to partake in alcohol by superiors, but refused because he was "not good at drinking".

"Then they said, 'Don't drink it.' But I couldn't appear on the show [after that]," he added. "I had a hard time because of it."

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