Clowning around: Korean celebrities' unusual pre-fame jobs resurface

By Xportsnews

• Published Sep 8, 2026 12:00 AM KST

A recent surge of interest in professional clowns has unexpectedly put the spotlight on celebrities who once worked as clowns before finding fame.

An online post titled "Could you marry a boyfriend who works as a clown?" recently went viral on Korean online communities.

The writer said her boyfriend had saved 200 million won ($144,000), but her parents opposed their marriage because he worked as a clown.

The story drew mixed reactions from online users.

Some opposed the marriage, saying, "It would be hard to introduce him to others," "I think it would bother me," "I can understand why her parents are against it" and "His future seems uncertain."

Others changed their tune after learning that professional clowns can earn as much as 7 million won a month.

"He seems hardworking," "That's a job AI can't replace" and "He seems like he'd be good at making a living," were some of the positive comments from users.

As interest in the profession grew, the clown debate evolved into an online trend, with users digging up celebrities who had worked as clowns before becoming famous.

Comedians Lee Yong-joo, Lee Eun-ji and Heo Kyung-hwan, as well as actors Yoon Kyung-ho, Park Hae-soo and Ryu Seung-soo, have all previously said they had experience working part-time as clowns.

Lee Yong-joo's clown experience later proved useful in an unexpected setting.

In a campaign video with the children's organization ChildFund Korea, Lee entertained children in Bangladesh with elaborate balloon creations.

Explaining why he had brought balloons for the children, Lee said he had worked as a clown for about two years.

"I saw a part-time clown job and thought it might help me with comedy later on, so I gave it a try. That ended up lasting two years," he said.

"I was lucky enough to become a comedian after that, so I hadn't made balloon animals in more than 10 years. I never thought I'd end up using those skills again in Bangladesh."

Lee won over the children not only with his balloon art but also with magic tricks. After clips of his skills resurfaced online, impressed users dubbed him a "true blue clown."

Comedian Lee Eun-ji has also said she once worked as a clown.

During a mission on tvN's variety show "Earth Arcade," Lee surprised the cast by effortlessly inflating and shaping balloons.

Asked how she was so good at it, she said, "I used to work part-time as a clown."

As the clown trend gained traction, Lee shared more details on YouTube.

"I used to host a lot of first birthday parties, and a venue told me I should work as a clown," she said. "I had to learn in a hurry, so the only thing I could make with balloons was a dog."

Actor Yoon Kyung-ho also worked as a clown while trying to establish himself as an actor.

He said he had to take flexible jobs while performing in plays because regular part-time work with fixed hours did not fit his schedule.

"I walked on stilts and did my own makeup," he said. "I was supposed to look friendly and not scary, but no matter what I did, I ended up looking like the Joker. I got a lot of complaints from business owners."

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.