On the January 22 episode of SBS PowerFM’s 12 o’clock with Joo Hyun Young, actress Joo Hyun Young candidly shared a surprising story from her college years involving a near brush with a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme. During a segment with listeners on the topic of “times you were easily swayed,” she admitted, “In college, I was really gullible.”

She humorously compared herself to the famously naive character “Geumjjok-i” from Korean variety shows, saying, “Back then, my ears were flapping in the wind,” referring to how easily influenced she was.

Joo recalled being invited by an older classmate who was working at what she later realized was an MLM company to attend a massive recruitment expo. “Her words were so persuasive, I nearly got hired,” she said. “It really made me think, ‘Wow, there are a lot of passionate people out there.’”

Although she acknowledged that not all aspects of the experience were negative, she emphasized that she eventually pivoted to jobs more aligned with her major. “I came really close to becoming a full-time employee. It was that serious,” she said, surprising listeners.

When a caller later shared their own experience of losing 3 million KRW to a scam, Joo responded with shock. “That gave me chills it’s just like what almost happened to me,” she said. “The system is so structured and convincing that if someone is trying to get their life together, it’s easy to get swept up in it. I nearly lost 3 million KRW myself.”

Joo Hyun Young made her debut in 2019 with the short film Did You Miss Me? and has since gained attention through her roles in Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Behind Every Star, and Ms. Incognito. She also became a breakout star on variety shows like SNL Korea and Crime Scene Returns, where her witty and adaptable performances won widespread praise.

Sources: Daum