"I Earned KRW 100 Billion but Returned Home Empty-Handed"—Kim Yon-ja Opens Up About Her Split from Her Former Husband

[Financial News] Singer Kim Yon-ja opened up about her life from the time she moved alone to Seoul at age 15, working at a factory during the day and performing on nighttime stages to make a living, to her return to Korea after her divorce without receiving approximately KRW 100 billion in earnings.
Kim Yon-ja, who is celebrating her 52nd year since debut, appeared on tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block,' which aired on the 30th of last month. Yoo Jae-suk introduced her as "a nationwide star since the 1980s, a singer at the closing ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics, and one of the top 10 singers for three consecutive years."
Her father encouraged her to pursue a career as a singer. Kim Yon-ja said, "When I was 15, my father put me on a slow train and sent me to Seoul to become a singer. He wasn't very good at singing, so he must have been pleased that his daughter could sing well. He told me I couldn't stay in Gwangju and had to go to Seoul."
After moving to Seoul, Kim Yon-ja failed an audition and went back and forth between factory work and nighttime stages to cover her living expenses. She said, "The owner of the record company told me to work at a factory during the day. Since I was there, composers felt sorry for me and introduced me to nighttime performances," adding that she lied about her age to perform onstage at the time.
Kim Yon-ja said, "Unknown singers perform when there are no customers." After finishing her nighttime performances, she took the last train home and went back to the record factory the next morning. She continued this routine for four years.
After first entering the Japanese market at 19, she eased her loneliness by making international phone calls to her mother. Kim Yon-ja said, "I was paid 120,000 yen, but my international phone bill came to 300,000 yen a month. I was severely scolded and cried."
Because her mother saved the money Kim Yon-ja sent instead of spending it, the family was able to buy a row house. Kim Yon-ja shed tears as she spoke about her mother, who is currently battling acute Parkinson's disease.
Kim Yon-ja returned to Korea without achieving major success during her first foray into Japan, but later rose to fame after the success of a medley album. Eleven years later, she entered the Japanese market again and worked there for about 20 years, also taking the stage overseas in Brazil, Cuba and Russia.
She also faced financial difficulties during her divorce. Kim Yon-ja said that after separating from her former husband, who had been the head of her agency, she returned to Korea without receiving earnings amounting to approximately KRW 100 billion.
Kim Yon-ja said, "I didn't keep track of the money; I only sang. He managed all the expenses in Japan. I never once asked how much I had earned or whether he still had it." She added, "I tried to bring back at least a little, but he said there was nothing and that I would be leaving empty-handed, so I returned without a penny."
After returning to Korea, Kim Yon-ja asked composer Yoon Il-sang to write a new song for her. She later found 'Amor Fati' and returned to the height of her career. She said, "I asked composer Yoon Il-sang to write me one signature song for my life."
Kim Yon-ja, who now performs at festivals across the country, laughed as she said, "When I'm busy, gasoline costs about KRW 600,000 a day. Since I travel with my dance team, that's how much it costs each day. I feel as though I've conquered the whole country."


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter