Super Junior member Kim Heechul spoke honestly about his earnings during the group’s early years and revealed that his long-running variety show career became an important source of income.
During an August 1 video on the YouTube channel Egen Man Swings, Heechul was asked about Super Junior’s original lineup.
He explained, “We debuted with 12 members, and then Kyuhyun joined, making us 13. A lot happened after that. In the beginning, we even traveled around by bus.”
When asked whether the group’s payments were divided among 13 members, Heechul said that appearing on television did not always produce an immediate profit at the time.
He said, “Back then, when we appeared on broadcasts, we were often still in the negative. We did not earn as much as some other groups, but we received enough income to live.”
Heechul then revealed that he began earning more through his regular appearance on JTBC’s variety show Knowing Bros.
He added, “I do not know whether it was because of the company’s payment structure, but honestly, I earned a lot while doing Knowing Bros.”
Swings responded that Heechul was being too modest and noted that Super Junior had promoted and toured across Asia.
He joked, “You are pretending that you did not earn much. I know you are only joking.”
Heechul’s comments offered a look at how income was shared among the large Super Junior lineup and how his successful variety show career later increased his earnings.
