"I Felt Frustrated Because My Colleague Died and I Was a Non-Regular Worker"... Yoo Ji-tae Explains Why He Studied Social Welfare

[Financial News] Actor Yoo Ji-tae opened up about what led him to take an interest in social welfare.
On the 14th, the YouTube channel 'Lee Min-jung MJ' uploaded a video titled, 'Listen to Yoo Ji-tae's incredibly talkative life story, from Oldboy to Wangsaman.'
In the video, Yoo Ji-tae talked with actor Lee Min-jung and comedian Kim Jun-ho, who was also his classmate in the theater and film department at Dankook University, about everything from behind-the-scenes stories to his life.
Kim Jun-ho asked Yoo Ji-tae whether there was a separate reason he got into social welfare. Yoo said, "Back in our day, there were action schools, so we trained with action actors and had a sense of camaraderie. I had some action actors I was close with, and one of them died in a car accident while returning to his lodging from a filming location in China."
He added, "Because we were on contract and non-regular workers, there were blind spots in welfare. That was when I felt really frustrated. My friend had worked on set for 10 years, and realizing there was no protection at all made me think, 'I need to learn about this,' so I started studying social welfare then."
Yoo Ji-tae said that while studying at the graduate school of social welfare at Catholic University, he discovered another welfare blind spot through a classmate who worked at YWCA.
He explained, "During a class briefing, I learned that women and children who were victims of domestic violence had to leave shelters after just six months. Then they would go back to abusive homes, get beaten again, and end up back in the shelter. It was a vicious cycle." He added, "So when I heard that there was a need for an interim home where they could become financially and mentally independent, I said, 'Then let's do it together,' and we created a 'halfway house' for women and children who had suffered domestic violence."
Because of his celebrity status, the project drew public attention, and the Korea National Housing Corporation reportedly supported about 200 households.
Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-tae also spoke about a dream he hopes to achieve in the future.
He said, "Acting is fun, art is fun, and I am also interested in welfare," adding, "I want to build a cooperative hospital."
He continued, "I can't become a doctor, can I? So I can't build a hospital. But I want to create a hospital where people, including directors, staff, and actors who have not prepared for old age, can receive medical services by paying a certain amount. That is the vague dream I have."
[email protected] Kim Su-yeon Reporter