Lim Chae-moo Confesses, "150 Billion Won Debt from Duriland... Sold Yeouido Apartment and Living in Bathroom"

Photo by KBS 2TV, screenshot from the broadcast of 'Salrimhaneun Namjadeul 2'

[Asia Economy Online Issue Team] Actor Im Chae-moo (72) confessed that he incurred about 15 billion won in debt while operating the amusement park 'Duriland' in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province.

On the KBS 2TV variety show 'Men Who Do Housework 2' aired on the 4th, the couple Jung Sung-yoon and Kim Mi-ryeo visited the amusement park run by Im Chae-moo.

Jung Sung-yoon, who had previously appeared in the same drama as Im Chae-moo, greeted him saying, "That was about 14 or 15 years ago, but you look the same." Im Chae-moo replied, "Only my appearance is like that. Inside, I am all rotten. If you look at my mental age, I have the mindset of a 38-year-old, so I play with kids in places like this. That's why I don't age. If you get greedy, you age."

Then Kim Mi-ryeo recalled, "When the amusement park opened in 1990, everyone was touched. You thought of creating it after seeing children who couldn't play because they had no money. At first, you didn't charge an admission fee, right?"

To this, Im Chae-moo said, "That's why I was called a fool a lot. Seeing children running around carelessly is happiness," which moved everyone. He said he has been running the amusement park for 33 years and added, "Nothing has changed now or then. I'm still Im Chae-moo. Debt."

Jung Sung-yoon and Kim Mi-ryeo asked, "We heard from the broadcast that you have a lot of debt. How much debt do you have?" Im Chae-moo revealed, "The amount I currently have to repay is 14 to 15 billion won," surprising Jung Sung-yoon and Kim Mi-ryeo.

Photo by KBS 2TV, screenshot from the broadcast of 'Salrimhaneun Namjadeul 2'

Im Chae-moo said, "When I go to the bank, I can't get a loan because the debt is too high, and the credit card limit is very low," adding, "I had two houses in Yeouido, but I sold them quickly. There's nowhere to go. I built a restroom at the amusement park's swimming pool, placed two military beds there, and lived for a year."

He continued, "Looking back, there was romance. After work in the evening, my wife and I would put out chairs and a table and have a can of beer each," emphasizing, "When an environment hits you, if you think 'Why am I like this? How did this happen?' you can't live. The rainbow appears after the rain."

Meanwhile, Im Chae-moo currently operates the amusement park Duriland located in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. Since its opening in 1990, despite running at a loss, it has been steadily operated. In October 2017, it was temporarily closed due to environmental issues such as fine dust, and after 2 years and 6 months, it reopened with renovations on April 24 last year, starting to charge an admission fee.