Actor Son Suk Ku has revealed that he secretly forged his parents' seals to apply for military deployment to Iraq, later using the approximately 12 million won he received from his service to pay for acting lessons.
During the October 23 episode of SBS's variety show *Whatever You Wish, Secretary Jin*, also known as *Secretary Jin*, Son Suk Ku opened up about his military experience in a conversation with Lee Seo Jin and Kim Kwang Kyu.
The actor explained that he had strongly wanted to volunteer for deployment to Iraq while serving in the South Korean Army. However, the application required his parents' official seals.
Rather than asking for their permission, Son Suk Ku admitted that he made the decision on his own.
He recalled, *"I really wanted to go to Iraq. You had to volunteer, but the application required my parents' seals. There was a place inside Army Headquarters that made seals, so I forged my parents' seals."*
According to Son Suk Ku, he only informed his parents after he had already been accepted for deployment.
He also told them that admitting he had forged their seals could result in military detention.
Remembering his father's reaction, the actor shared, *"I can never forget my father's sigh over the phone. After that, I went on the deployment."*
Son Suk Ku then explained why he was so determined to serve overseas.
Having spent a considerable amount of time living in the United States, he initially struggled to adjust to South Korea's military environment.
He recalled having difficulty speaking Korean naturally and receiving negative comments from fellow soldiers because of how he spoke and behaved.
He explained, *"Whenever I said something, people would ask, 'Are you a rapper?' I received a lot of negative comments."*
The actor also remembered getting scolded for clapping along to a rhythm during military activities, something he connected to growing up listening to hip-hop music on MTV.
Determined to overcome those difficulties, Son Suk Ku worked hard during basic training and eventually graduated at the top of his training class.
He explained, *"I wanted to see how far I could go as a soldier."*
His efforts eventually led to his acceptance for overseas deployment while he was still a private first class.
During his time in Iraq, Son Suk Ku served as a rifleman and also worked as an interpreter.
He recalled experiencing sandstorms that could leave soldiers isolated for one or two weeks. Despite the challenging conditions, he also formed friendships with soldiers from other countries and said he remains in contact with some of the people he served alongside.
The conversation later turned to the financial compensation he received for his deployment.
When Lee Seo Jin mentioned that overseas military deployments offered additional allowances because of the risks involved, Son Suk Ku revealed how much he had received.
He said, *"After returning from deployment, I received around 12 million won. I used that money to take acting lessons."*
The revelation connected his military experience to the beginning of his acting journey, showing how the money he earned during deployment helped him pursue a career in entertainment.
From secretly applying for deployment without his parents' permission to using his military earnings to study acting, Son Suk Ku's story offered a personal look at an unexpected chapter of his life before becoming a well-known actor.
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