Key Summary
- YouTube creator KwakTube said he once considered naming four people who bullied him when he received a rookie entertainment award.
- He said he was bullied from sixth grade through high school and kept the experience from his parents.
- After leaving school, he said he received threats and stayed inside his home for about four months out of fear.
- In an upcoming EBS interview program, KwakTube speaks with a 19-year-old who left school and later earned a high school equivalency certificate.
Main Story
KwakTube, whose real name is Kwak Jun-bin, appears in an upcoming EBS interview program alongside a 19-year-old interviewee identified as Lee Yoo-won, who left formal schooling and later completed the high school equivalency exam on their own.
The program centers on questions about life after leaving school and how each guest rebuilt their path. According to the source, both participants described their first thoughts on the day they stepped away from school. KwakTube answered “freedom,” while Lee Yoo-won described it as the “golden time of my life that was taken away.”
KwakTube also spoke about the bullying he said he experienced for years, from elementary school through high school. He said he did not tell his parents at the time. He later described what happened after he left school, saying he was threatened with statements that someone would come find and kill him, and that fear kept him from going outside for roughly four months.
He said he eventually enrolled in a private academy to prepare for the equivalency test, but found it difficult to stay because some students in the classroom reminded him of the people who had bullied him before. He said he quit after about two weeks, but still took the exam and scored an average of 86.
Lee Yoo-won said they studied alone and passed the same exam with an average of 96. The source says Lee Yoo-won relied on Bach’s music during a difficult period, while KwakTube said he drew strength from his wish to go abroad and his interest in soccer.
The conversation also turned to what motivated them to start again. Lee Yoo-won wrote “diary,” while KwakTube wrote “revenge.” He said the desire to do better than the people who bullied him helped push him forward. He recalled that when he won a rookie award in broadcasting, he even considered naming the four people who had bullied him in his acceptance speech, but once on stage he instead thought first of the people he was thankful for.
At the end of the program, Lee Yoo-won mentioned interests in beauty and content creation. KwakTube reportedly promised to appear if Lee Yoo-won starts a channel and even said he would receive makeup from them. The two exchanged contact information.
Background
The source describes BLANK as an EBS interview series that pairs young people who have built their own paths outside school with a senior guest who followed a similar route. They meet one-on-one and respond to question cards about life and choices. The episode featuring KwakTube is scheduled for release on the 13th.
Items Requiring Further Verification
- The report attributes several personal recollections and emotional reactions to KwakTube and Lee Yoo-won; these are self-reported statements and cannot be independently confirmed from the text alone.
- The claim that KwakTube was bullied from sixth grade through high school is presented as his account and would require external corroboration.
- The alleged post-school threats and the four-month period during which he did not leave home are also based on his statement in the source.
- The description of Lee Yoo-won’s exam score, interests, and personal experiences comes from the article and is not independently verified here.