Jo Kwon reveals how much he received from JYP for his first payment and says he wept with his mother

Jo Kwon shared an episode about receiving his first payment from JYP Entertainment.

On July 4, a video titled ‘Debut 17 Years! How Much Does an Apartment Cost for a Celebrity Who Earns Like a CEO? | Samseong-dong Hillstate Edition’ was uploaded to the YouTube channel ‘Studio Every Day.’

Jo Kwon reflected, “When I look at my juniors, I always think, this is just the beginning. It feels so new and happy right now. But if I had to go back, I don’t think I could do it.”

Jo Kwon, who described his trainee days as the hardest, said, “I had nothing and couldn’t do anything. When you earn money, you can eat good food and do what you want, but as a trainee, you don’t have any money.”

When the production team asked if it took a long time to receive payments, host Seo Eun Kwang, reflecting back on his time with BtoB, commented, “We received 500,000 KRW (~362.90 USD) as an advance. I remember it being like that for 3 to 4 years.”

Jo Kwon, with a resentful expression, said, “I didn’t get that.” When Seo Eun Kwang remarked that Jo Kwon must have felt proud when he received his first payment, Jo Kwon replied, “I felt sad.” He explained, “My first payment, after deducting all the trainee expenses, was 210,000 KRW (~152.42 USD).”

He continued, “It was the first money I received in three years, and it was so sad. I hugged my mom and cried. I went to the telecommunications company with that money and paid the phone bill,” he said with a bitter smile.

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