However, with the increasing trend of celebrities debuting at a young age, the entertainment industry has undergone a transformation. As some celebrities found success early in their careers without attending college, it changed the thoughts and perceptions of many. Let’s take a look at some stars who have openly admitted to being high school graduates.
1. Singer IU
Born in 1993, IU debuted when she was in middle school. She stepped into the entertainment industry at a young age. Although she did not gain significant popularity in the early days of her debut, IU secured her position as the nation’s little sister with consecutive hits like “Nagging”, “Good Day”, “Hold My Hand” and “You and I”.
In 2012, while being on a roll as a singer, IU revealed that she gave up going to college. She stated through various shows like KBS 2TV’s “Win Win” and SBS’s “Healing Camp”, “I didn’t feel confident at all about taking CSAT because I couldn’t study at high school due to my hectic schedules. Although I received special admission offers from several universities, college is for those who worked hard.“
IU has since evolved from being the nation’s little sister to becoming the nation’s singer.
Notably, in 2022, she held the concert “The Golden Hour: Under the Orange Sun” at the Seoul Olympic Stadium, setting a record as the first Korean female artist to perform there.
2. Actress Han So-hee
Han So-hee recently revealed her educational background while appearing on the content “Nattering with Nah” of the YouTube channel “Channel 15ya” with actor Park Seo-joon. She confessed, “I debuted at the age of 25. I got accepted to a French university. But I had to have 60 million won in my bank account to get a visa. Since I didn’t have 60 million won, I couldn’t go.“
Having given up on college, Han So-hee started working at a pub and began modeling to earn money. Meanwhile, she happened to film a snack commercial.
At that time, working as a freelancer without a company, Han So-hee’s bank account balance showed a whopping 20 million won. She said, “I was going to shoot 3 advertisements, fill up the 60 million won then go to France, but I ended up here.”
3. Actor Yoo Seung-ho
Born in 1993, Yoo Seung-ho debuted in the entertainment industry as a child actor with the 2000 MBC drama “Daddy Fish”. Starting his career as a child actor, he continued his acting activities without a break while attending elementary, middle and high schools.
Having secured his place as an adult actor after starting as a child actor, Yoo Seung-ho faced rumors about special admission to a prestigious university just before the 2012 college entrance exam. However, he decided not to pursue a college degree in order to concentrate on his acting career.
Afterwards, when asked if he regrets his decision, he provided a mature response, “If I were to go to college, I might major in theater and film, but the thought that someone who worked hard might not be able to get in troubled me. I, who didn’t study hard, entering would have prevented someone else from being admitted.”
In addition, singer BoA, actress Suzy and broadcaster Yoo Jae-suk have also disclosed that they are high school graduates. Regardless of educational background, they continue to be actively engaged in their respective fields.
Source: Wikitree
