Actor Im Chae-moo revealed that he spent 25 billion won to establish and maintain the theme park Duri Land.
In an appearance on tvN's "You Quiz on the Block" broadcast on the 2nd, Im Chae-moo stated, "I haven't kept a separate record of the money invested in Duri Land, but if you calculate the assets I've disposed of over time, it certainly exceeds 25 billion won."
Duri Land, which opened in 1990, was established with 10 billion won from Im Chae-moo's personal funds and an additional 4 billion won in loans. Since Duri Land did not charge admission fees, it faced financial difficulties from the very beginning of its operations. As losses mounted and debt grew, Im Chae-moo began selling off his assets one by one.
Im Chae-moo recalled, "Before establishing 'Duri Land,' I earned so much money through the drama 'Love and Truth' that I couldn't comprehend its value. I was earning 10 billion won per month. At that time, a 15-pyeong apartment in Seobu Icheon-dong cost only 4 million won. If I had just bought those apartments back then, I might have owned the Yeouido 63 Building today."
He added, "Due to Duri Land's operational struggles, I had to liquidate everything, including my Mokdong commercial building, Anseong vacation home, yacht, and camper van, as well as two apartments in Yeouido. After selling my house, I moved into a 7-pyeong studio apartment, and within a year, rumors spread throughout the neighborhood."
He continued, "Eventually, there was nowhere to stay at Duri Land. There was only space in the shower room next to the swimming pool, so I lived there."
Regarding why he has protected the amusement park despite massive debt, Im Chae-moo said, "The joy of completing something according to my own vision is something no one else can understand. As long as employees' salaries are paid on time and I see children smiling, I feel that things are running well."
in ENTERTAINMENT
