Super Junior’s Lee Teuk, the resilient idol, overcame family tragedy after his father caused the death of his grandparents before taking his own life.
Lee Teuk (Super Junior): A Korean idol suffered a family tragedy while he was serving in the military. Lee Teuk’s father killed his biological parents and then committed suicide by car, saying he “could not afford to take care of his family”. The incident in 2014 caused the male singer to suffer from severe depression. After being discharged from the military, the male singer sold many assets to pay off the 5 billion won (equivalent to 4.5 million USD) debt his father left behind. “The lives of celebrities are different from what you see. They are also filled with pain and despair like anyone else,” the Super Junior leader said during a fan meeting.
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On live broadcast, Leeteuk made viewers feel heartbroken when recalling the negative thoughts that haunted him in the military. “I was going through a very difficult time. When I was in the military, there was no way for me to commit suicide. So I decided to go out and end my life. Those were the things I thought about,” Leeteuk shared, choking up.
The singer said that his mental state was recognized by those around him. “A captain once told me, ‘Jeongsu-ah (Leeteuk’s real name), you can’t take a leave like this’ when I got my first leave since enlisting,” Leeteuk recalled, showing the seriousness of the problem he was facing. However, he tried to hide it and stay strong throughout that time.
In the latter part of the livestream, Leeteuk emotionally talked about his journey to regain his motivation to live while visiting his loved ones, including chairman Lee Soo Man, Super Junior members, and famous MC Kang Ho Dong. Seeing Kang Ho Dong and the Super Junior members working and practicing hard, Leeteuk couldn’t hold back his tears.
That moment helped Leeteuk realize that he still had hope and wanted to return to the stage, side by side with the Super Junior members. “I have to quickly return to everyone. But I think I might not be able to do that. What should I do now?”, Leeteuk asked himself during that difficult time.
Finally, with the encouragement and love of his loved ones, Leeteuk was able to lift his spirits and overcome the dark period. The singer recalled: “It felt like I fell from the 20th floor of a building and then stood up. But thinking back, I see that the human heart is truly miraculous. People begin to have hope and that hope will grow within us. With the hope of a new opportunity in the future, I decided to return to the military at that time, and at the same time, I was ready to face the things that had discouraged me.”
At the end of the livestream, Leeteuk shared that he is currently enjoying a happy life, regularly exercising and relaxing in the sauna. Leeteuk’s sincere and emotional sharing has made fans love and admire his determination even more.
