Kim Jong Kook’s upsetting past: Being tied up, physically abused, not getting paid properly by his company

Few people know that “Mr Capable” Kim Jong Kook used to be hospitalized because he was forced to work too hard.

Kim Jong Kook, a famous member of Running Man, is familiar to the viewers with the image of “Mr Capable”, “Sparta-Kook”, thanks to his muscular, bulky physique with 6-pack abs. He has the most formidable muscle strength among the cast members of the show. However, few people know about Kim Jong Kook went through an upsetting past when he was brutally beaten by his manager when he was a member of the group Turbo.

In the 90s, Turbo debuted as a duo consisting of Kim Jong Kook and Kim Jung Nam. The two immediately became famous with the hit Black Cat. In 1997, Kim Jung Nam left the group, Mikey was selected to replace the rapper position and Turbo continued to be active until 2000 when they eventually disbanded. During the peak of their career, Turbo had to endure heavy pressure from the management company.

Not only being forced to overwork to the point of being hospitalized and not getting paid properly, Turbo was also physically assaulted by their manager. Kim Jong Kook stated on a radio show that this is also why he began boxing and working out to protect himself. According to the report, he was once tied up and beaten in the basement as a deterrent.

After releasing the 5th album, Kim Jong Kook left the management company due to the end of his contract and started a solo career in 2001. Mikey, at that time, also expired his visa and returned to New York City. Turbo disbanded in the regret of many fans.

Kim Jong Kook is still hard at workouts and has a desirable 6-pack figure. The male singer is so obsessed with the gym that his colleagues joked that it was the reason he didn’t have time to date and get married despite being 45 years old.

Source: K14