Comedian Hwang Ki-soon (62) has revealed the reason he once went to the Philippines to gamble.
On the 4th, a video titled “The Truth About Hwang Ki-soon’s Homelessness in the Philippines? His Gambling Story” was uploaded to the YouTube channel Clémuk Time.
In the video, actor Lee Dong-joon asked Hwang, “Why did you go to the Philippines to gamble back then?” Hwang Ki-soon, covering his face with one hand, responded, “Why am I even talking about this?”
Hwang recalled his peak years, saying, “Back then, I was extremely busy with broadcasting. It was the golden era of MBC comedy. I was on Laugh and Luck Will Come, Rumors Bring Fortune, Great Laugh Battle, and Youth Forever. The day after a show aired, catchphrases from it would immediately go viral.”
“I had to record at least twice a week, and I also worked at nightclubs. I was making a lot of money but had no free time. Whenever I attended a colleague’s housewarming party, baby’s first birthday, or funeral, people were playing Go-Stop and card games, and it was so much fun. It relieved my stress. But I was always the one losing money.”
“This kept happening, so word got around to professional gamblers that I made good money and loved gambling. That’s when they started targeting me. They slowly built relationships with me, pretending to be friends. At first, they would intentionally lose money to me. That was their strategy.”
Hwang continued, “Once these gamblers set a ‘D-DAY,’ they would raise the stakes, and in just one day, I could lose tens of millions of won. This happened several times, and things got serious. My work suffered, and all my income was going into gambling. That’s why I decided to open a nightclub.”
“But the nightclub didn’t do well. Money was leaking everywhere, and I couldn’t pay the rent, management fees, or liquor costs. Then I heard about casinos in the Philippines, and I thought I could make up for my losses there.”
Hwang revealed, “At that time, I lost around 130 million won (approximately $97,000). Then, suddenly, it became big news. Reports came out saying, ‘Hwang Ki-soon is now homeless.’ There were all sorts of rumors, but I never actually lived on the streets.”
He clarified, “Tour guides in the Philippines would tell tourists, ‘Look to your left. That casino is where Hwang Ki-soon lost everything and became a beggar.’ That got misinterpreted, but I never experienced homelessness.”
In 1997, Hwang Ki-soon went to the Philippines for gambling and ended up bankrupt. However, with help from acquaintances and a government amnesty for overseas gambling offenders, he was able to return to Korea. Since then, he has successfully rebuilt his career and actively participates in campaigns to prevent gambling addiction.