Lee Deok-jae, known as the 'Ice Man' who led the prime of KBS 'Gag Concert', is drawing attention as he shares his current situation of perfectly bouncing back as a used car dealer after overcoming the pain of bankruptcy.
Recently, Lee Deok-jae appeared on the YouTube channel 'Current Situation Olympics' and revealed his fierce life as a 9-year veteran used car dealer. He debuted as part of KBS's 10th public recruitment and dominated the comedy scene in the early 2000s with his 'Ice Man' character, standing shoulder to shoulder with stars like Park Jun-hyung and Jung Hyung-don.
On that day’s broadcast, Lee Deok-jae confessed to the shocking trials hidden behind his glamorous past. He revealed that during his prime, he earned a staggering income of 20 million won per week and 6 million won per day, but due to a reckless lifestyle and lack of financial sense, he squandered 500 million won and ended up with an additional 300 million won in debt. The total debt of 800 million won ultimately led to his bankruptcy filing.
He recalled his desperate living conditions, saying, "After my divorce, I moved from a room with a deposit of 5 million won and a monthly rent of 300,000 won, and I even had to resort to loans from the 4th financial sector." He jumped into sales to make a living, but it was not easy to let go of his pride as a celebrity. He confessed, "I hesitated for 20 minutes in front of the office when I first distributed flyers out of embarrassment." However, the heartfelt shout of "I came here to make a living" received a standing ovation from the citizens, which became the driving force for his comeback.
Currently, Lee Deok-jae has regained his credit rating to 1st grade with diligence as his weapon, entering his 'second prime'. He expressed his pride as a dealer with a solemn determination, saying, "This is my last job." His story of rising from the bottom back to the top resonates deeply with many people.
