"No Grounds to Receive the 'Daesang,' I Received the Most Abuse"... Lee Sang-min Endures the Weight of the Crown [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Sang-min (53), formerly of the group Rula, has endured the weight of the crown for receiving the "Daesang" award and achieved a leap forward through love.

Last year, Lee Sang-min was honored with the "Daesang" at the "2025 SBS Entertainment Awards" for his work on "My Little Old Boy" (hereinafter "My Little Old Boy") and "Shoes Off! Dolsing Fourmen" (hereinafter "Dolsing Fourmen"). This marks his first individual Daesang in 20 years, and four years after receiving the group award for "My Little Old Boy" in 2021.

Regarding this, Lee Sang-min stated in a recent interview with StarNews: "Up until two years ago, I wanted to receive the Daesang because I had many achievements back then. However, last year, after getting married, 'Dolsing Fourmen' was canceled, and I also left 'My Little Old Boy.' I felt there was no real justification for receiving it, yet they gave it to me. As a result, many people reacted with 'Why you?' I think I might be the person who received the most abuse after winning the Daesang. (Ji) Seok-jin also kept appearing as a candidate but never won, so perhaps that made me receive even more criticism."

Lee Sang-min then added: "But since it was an award given to me, I had to endure its weight. It was very difficult bearing that burden. This was the first time I received a Daesang since 1995 as part of Rula at the Seoul Music Awards, and honestly, I feel regretful. The Daesang is indeed a terrifying award. Those who have endured it multiple times, like (Yoo) Jae-suk and (Shin) Dong-yup, are truly remarkable."

Furthermore, Lee Sang-min remarried in April last year by registering his marriage with a non-celebrity who is ten years younger than him, opening the second chapter of his life. He said, "My wife is someone extremely precious to me," showcasing his loving husband persona.

The reason he decided to appear on the recent OTT Wave Original "Blood Game X" was also due to his wife. This marks Lee Sang-min's first challenge in a brain survival variety show since tvN's "The Genius: Rule Breaker" (hereinafter "Genius 2") ended in 2014, an impressive 12-year gap.

Lee Sang-min shared the story: "I received the offer to appear on 'Blood Game X' last November and was contemplating it alone when my wife said, 'If you're thinking this hard about it, doesn't that mean you want to go?' My wife loves survival shows so much that she even helped me make the decision this time. She told me I made the right choice."

He continued: "Although it's been a while since I appeared on a survival variety show, my attitude remained the same whether we succeed or fail: 'Let's enjoy the game.' Since I am older than other participants, I thought that if I approached it too seriously with a broadcast mindset, it would be a negative for me. When I couldn't fully show my true self, I feared becoming a player who gets excluded by others saying, 'Who is this guy?' So I decided even more strongly to just play my own game."

Lee Sang-min also said: "However, regardless of the program, I believe one must always have a presence. This time too, I thought, 'Lee Sang-min's presence must definitely be there.' I tried to plant a unique sense of presence in each episode. As a result, many scenes showed me drunk."

What was his wife's reaction? Lee Sang-min revealed: "I'm not good at drinking alcohol; even one can of beer makes my face turn bright red. So my wife asked why I was drinking so much and said she couldn't stand seeing it," which drew laughter.

Although his wife encouraged him to join "Blood Game X," she was also the reason he decided to withdraw. When asked about this, Lee Sang-min explained: "There was an unavoidable situation where I had to go to the hospital with my wife. I discussed it with the production team until 4:30 a.m., and they calculated that given the recording environment's constraints, they couldn't allocate time for me until we returned from the hospital. So I had no choice but to withdraw."

Although he ended his participation mid-way due to withdrawal, Lee Sang-min emphasized: "I have zero regrets." He added: "My daily routine is almost identical. I record, come home, and live a life focused only on work and family. I rarely eat out either. When someone falls apart and then gets back up, the dominant thought becomes 'I must not fall apart again in this position,' so I hardly meet anyone outside. Therefore, recording for 'Blood Game X' was the ultimate rebellion for me."

Additionally, Lee Sang-min addressed his controversial statement about earning "1.5 billion won last year" that sparked discussion on "Blood Game X." He said: "Now that I've paid off all my debts, my previous character has disappeared. However, I don't think I should continue being called 'Gung-sang-min.' I have no intention of deliberately creating a new character or image. I simply want to show myself as I am if I'm happy after getting married. In doing so, perhaps something new will be discovered within that, and it would be better to find joy in that process."

He concluded: "Some people around me have advised me not to show off my money-making or shopping habits. But since my life has changed this way, I am living according to those changes. This transitional period seems necessary for me. Whether it lasts one year or two years, I don't know, but this is who I am right now."

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*This content was translated by AI.