On the latest episode of tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block,' broadcast on August 30, esteemed actor Lee Jun Ki made a special guest appearance. He spoke candidly about his past experiences and the steep navigation up the path of stardom.

Lee Jun Ki fondly looked back on his breakout role in 'The King and the Clown,' which marked his surprising ascend to fame. The iconic film made history by becoming the first Korean film to surpass ten million viewers, an explosive success.

Following this remarkable achievement, Lee Jun Ki continued his winning streak in the entertainment industry with one successful venture after another, including the memorable 'pomegranate drink advertisement' with a catchy tagline, "Beauties Like Pomegranates."

The commercial, starring Lee Jun Ki, was a phenomenal sensation. The actor's impressive influence drove record sales for the pomegranate drink of up to 1 billion KRW (~758,466 USD) in a short time. 

His popularity was further cemented by setting fashion trends of the time, such as the shaggy haircut and cross earrings. On a lighter note, the actor humorously apologized to men of his generation for these trends, saying, "I sincerely apologize to the men of my generation for setting these trends."

He openly admitted that his overnight success boosted his ego.

Lee Jun Ki honestly confessed, "Back then, for a year, everything I did along with 'The King and the Clown' went well. Personally, it was a wrong way of thinking, but I thought, 'The world revolves around me,' 'I am the center of the world,'" making the MCs burst into laughter.

Furthermore, he confessed about his past when he suffered from what is commonly referred to as the "celebrity disease," saying, "As things kept going well and I became the center of attention, I felt a sense of arrogance within my weak self."

Regarding the turning point when he was able to break free from the 'celebrity disease,' Lee Jun Ki mentioned, "It's usually the people around you, friends who have been with you since your rookie days, who notice it first. They were straightforward and direct with me."

He continued, "I thought that if I didn't change even now, I might cause trouble for a lot of people, so I immediately decided to put a stop to it," explaining the reason he changed his mindset.

Meanwhile, to break free from the strong image he left in the public's mind from 'The King and the Clown,' Lee Jun Ki expanded his range of activities by taking on various characters in his subsequent works such as 'Iljimae,' 'Two Weeks,' 'Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo,'  'Flower of Evil,' and more.