In a video posted on April 4 to Ahn Jae-hyun’s personal YouTube channel, the actor took viewers along on a self-guided trip to a barbecue campsite. While enjoying the camping setup, he fondly recalled his first camping experience as a sixth grader, mentioning that he was in the Korean-equivalent of Boy Scouts back then.
But the nostalgia quickly turned bittersweet as Ahn shared a painful memory. “At the time, my family was going through a really tough financial situation. We didn’t even have a home phone,” he said, adding, “Because I left the phone number section blank on school forms, my teacher seemed to think I was being rebellious.”
According to Ahn Jae-hyun, this led to him being forcefully placed into the youth organization by the teacher, who treated him more strictly than others. When asked if he had been labeled a troublemaker, the actor admitted, “It seems they thought I was one. I guess my height also gave off that impression, so people often misunderstood me.” He also added with a sigh, “I spent the whole school year just trying to clear up those misunderstandings.”
Upon watching this video, Ahn Jae-hyun’s candid confession touched fans, who couldn’t help but comment on prejudices that can arise from appearances and financial struggles.