NRG's Noh Yoo-min Dramatically Reunites with Mentor Who Helped Him During Troubled Times... 'Tears Flowing'

Published 14 Feb.2020 21:26(KST)

Photo by KBS 1TV 'TV Neun Sarangeul Sitgo' capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] NRG group alumnus Noh Yoo-min reunited with the mentor who helped him during his childhood.

On the 14th, Noh Yoo-min appeared as a guest on KBS 1TV's 'TV Carries Love.'

In the broadcast, Noh Yoo-min searched for his mentor, teacher Ryu Jun-gyu, who supported him during his school days. Noh revealed that due to his family's financial difficulties, he enrolled in Hanyang Technical High School and frequently ran away from home because he wanted to become a singer.

Noh said, "When I was young, my father's business failed, and it was tough. He ran a restaurant in Bangbae-dong for 20 years, and we lived off that."

He expressed gratitude toward his teacher, saying, "Every time I ran away, he found me and actively supported the path I wanted to take. While my surroundings and parents told me to just learn a skill, my teacher encouraged me by saying, 'Do what you want. You can do it. If you do what you want, you won't have regrets.'"

He added, "At that time, many famous entertainers only had middle school diplomas. I often wondered if I really needed to go to school, but my teacher advised me that having a high school diploma makes a big difference."

When asked why he sought out his teacher after such a long time, he replied, "After graduating high school, my father passed away, and my older brother was in the military, so I became the head of the family. Also, during NRG's third album, Hwan-sung passed away from acute pneumonia, and time just flew by."

He explained, "I thought it would be rude to contact him suddenly, and I was worried if he would welcome me if I reached out."

Noh visited his alma mater, Hanyang Technical High School, to find his teacher. The school informed him that teacher Ryu Jun-gyu had been there until around 2000.

However, when contacted, the teacher declined to appear on the show, saying, "I feel burdened by being on TV." Even with Yoon Jung-soo's efforts to persuade him, he refused. Noh left the school with a feeling of regret and apology.

At that moment, a voice called out, "Gapseong-ah" (Noh Yoo-min's nickname). It was teacher Ryu Jun-gyu, whom Noh had been desperately looking for. When Noh met the teacher, whom he thought would not come out, his eyes welled up with tears.

Teacher Ryu said, "I thought not appearing might cause misunderstandings, so I decided to come out."

The two who successfully reunited shared a meal at a seafood restaurant and reminisced about old times. Notably, Noh Yoo-min's mother also appeared to express her gratitude to the teacher.