fromis_9’s Park Jiwon reveals she had no income for eight years before receiving settlement

fromis_9 member Park Jiwon candidly opened up about her financial situation, revealing that she only recently began receiving settlement payments after years of working without income.

On June 17 KST, the YouTube channel 'Workman' released a new episode of 'Workdol' titled “Can I Keep This Money Instead? | IBK Industrial Bank of Korea.” The episode featured Park Jiwon as a special guest, taking on the role of a one-day bank employee.

While carrying out her duties, Park Jiwon and a fellow employee briefly slipped away to a supply room, where they shared snacks and chatted casually.

During their conversation, the employee revealed their annual salary in a whisper. After hearing the figure, Park Jiwon responded with admiration, saying, “You earn well.”

She then surprised viewers with a personal confession.

“Until last year—or maybe the year before—I had absolutely no money,” she said. “I had no income for eight years. I was completely broke. I only recently started receiving settlements, and now I’m finally saving money little by little.”

Her remarks highlighted the financial challenges many idols face before reaching profitability, despite years of activities.

After completing four hours of work at the bank, Park Jiwon earned 47,000 KRW (approximately $31 USD) for the day. Reflecting on the experience, she joked, “I’m not very good with numbers, so I thought I would make a lot of mistakes, but I think I did pretty well.”

Fans quickly reacted to her honesty, flooding the comments section with messages of support. Many expressed sympathy for her years of hard work without financial rewards, while others thanked her for continuing her career despite the difficulties.

Comments included, “You worked so hard,” “Thank you for not giving up,” and “Now her excitement over receiving 300,000 KRW (~200 USD) gift certificates makes so much more sense.”

Park Jiwon’s candid remarks have resonated with fans, shedding light on the realities behind the glamorous image often associated with the idol industry.