Kim Jae-joong Says, "Why Did They Hit Me Like That?"... Opens Up About School Bullying

[Financial News] Singer Kim Jae-joong revealed that he was bullied at school during his student years.
On the 15th, a video titled "Kim Jae-joong vs. Missing Looks" was uploaded to the YouTube channel 'Kkondaehee'.
In the video, Kim Dae-hee asked about Kim Jae-joong's looks, saying, "Were you handsome from birth?" Kim Jae-joong replied, "No," and added, "I was very pretty as a baby, but I became less attractive once in middle school."
When Kim Dae-hee said, "How unattractive could you have been?" Kim Jae-joong said his looks changed again after high school. He explained, "After I entered high school, my face started looking better again. I didn't even get acne. I never had any noticeable second puberty changes. Life was too hard for me to even notice that."
The reason Kim Jae-joong said life was hard was because he had been a victim of school bullying. Recalling that time, he said, "Why did they hit me like that? It was really hard," and added, "At the time, they would always pick on kids who were a little fair-skinned and different from them, and drag them into back alleys."
Kim Dae-hee comforted him, saying, "You had fair skin and a bright look, so maybe they picked on you even more. I’m sure there were some good memories too, because you were handsome." Kim Jae-joong jokingly replied, "Like getting a few chocolates?"
Kim Jae-joong also shared another story. He said, "There was a pretty girl at school who liked me. When she said she liked me, the older guys dragged me away. They told me, 'Come to the rooftop.' I have a slight forward head posture, and that’s because I spent so much time looking down at the ground when I was young. I was trying not to make eye contact with those scary older guys."
He said he even took a longer route to school on purpose. Kim Jae-joong explained, "Even though there was a direct route from my house to school, I would go the long way and take a path that went up a small mountain. I didn't want to run into them."
When Kim Dae-hee said, "You’ve had a lot of ups and downs, even though you were popular," Kim Jae-joong said that being good-looking also comes with difficulties. He said, "That’s why I really support handsome people. I especially cheer for those who are naturally, truly very handsome, beyond just my level. There are so many hard parts. It’s uncomfortable."
Kim Dae-hee responded, "I understand that feeling. Your face reminds me of what I looked like in my 20s. I got hit a lot too." The Producer/Director on set then said, "The channel is going to blow up because of the hate comments..." drawing laughter.
[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter