Eric Nam says classmates spat in his face — then a Backstreet Boys performance changed everything

Singer Eric Nam recalled being bullied at a private school in the United States before a high school talent-show performance of Backstreet Boys and NSYNC songs brought him unexpected attention. He said classmates spat in his face and pulled their eyes back, while he focused on doing well academically. Nam later built a career as a singer and entertainer in South Korea and internationally. He is considering whether to attend his former school’s 100th anniversary celebration.

Nam said his family was less wealthy than many of his classmates, and that they could not relate to one another or understand each other’s different worlds.

In his final year of high school, Nam performed a medley with three friends at a talent show in front of the entire student body.

Nam appeared on the YouTube channel YouTube Ha Ji-young on Wednesday to discuss his experiences.

Nam said, “If there had been no Backstreet Boys, there would have been no Eric Nam.”

Published Oct 24, 2026 12:17 pm KST

Eric Nam / Captured from YouTube

Singer Eric Nam has opened up about the racism and bullying he endured while growing up in the United States, revealing how an unlikely high school performance featuring Backstreet Boys and NSYNC songs became a turning point in his life.

Nam appeared on the YouTube channel "YouTube Ha Ji-young" on Wednesday and recalled his years at a private school in the U.S., where he said he struggled to fit in with classmates from vastly different backgrounds.

"My parents sent me to a private school, but when I got there, all the kids were from wealthy families," Nam said. "My family wasn't poor, but we weren't that rich either."

He said the differences went beyond money.

"We couldn't relate to each other, and we lived in completely different worlds," he said. "I was bullied a lot. They spat in my face and pulled their eyes back."

Despite the abuse, Nam said he decided to focus on what he could control.

"I thought I should just do well at what I could do well," he said.

He continued to rank among the school's top students, but it was an unexpected moment during his final year of high school that would dramatically change how his classmates saw him.

Nam said he joined three friends for a school talent show, where they performed a medley of songs by Backstreet Boys and NSYNC in front of the entire student body.

"It blew up," he said.

Nam, who had largely kept a low profile at school, suddenly found himself at the center of attention after showing a side of himself his classmates had rarely seen.

The experience would prove especially meaningful in hindsight. Nam later built a career as a singer and entertainer in South Korea before expanding his activities internationally, including in the U.S.

Eric Nam, left / Captured from YouTube

Years after the painful experiences he described, Nam said his former school has now invited him back for its 100th anniversary celebration.

He said he remains unsure whether to attend because of the difficult memories associated with the school, though he is considering returning.

Looking back at the talent show that helped change the course of his life, Nam gave credit to the group whose songs helped him step into the spotlight.

"If there had been no Backstreet Boys, there would have been no Eric Nam," he said.

This article from Xportsnews was adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

歌手Eric Nam回忆起在美国一所私立学校就读期间曾遭受霸凌，直到高中才艺表演中演唱了后街男孩和超级男孩的歌曲，才让他意外走红。他说，同学们朝他脸上吐口水，还揪他的眼睛，而他则专注于学习。后来，Nam在韩国和国际上都取得了歌唱和演艺事业的成功。他正在考虑是否参加母校的百年校庆。

南说，他的家庭不如他的许多同学富裕，他们彼此之间无法交流，也无法理解彼此不同的世界。

在高中最后一年，南和三个朋友在全校师生面前的才艺表演中表演了一首串烧歌曲。

周三，南在YouTube频道YouTube Ha Ji-young上讲述了自己的经历。

南说：“如果没有后街男孩，就不会有埃里克·南。”

发布于2026年10月24日下午12:17（韩国标准时间）

Eric Nam / 摘自 YouTube

歌手 Eric Nam 公开谈论了他在美国成长过程中遭受的种族歧视和欺凌，并透露了一场出人意料的高中演出——演唱了 Backstreet Boys 和 NSYNC 的歌曲——如何成为他人生的转折点。

周三，南志祐出现在 YouTube 频道“YouTube Ha Ji-young”上，回忆起他在美国私立学校的岁月，他说自己很难融入来自截然不同背景的同学群体。

“我父母送我去私立学校，但到了那里之后，我发现所有的孩子都来自富裕家庭，”南说。“我家不算穷，但也算不上富裕。”

他说，分歧不仅仅在于金钱。

“我们彼此无法理解，生活在完全不同的世界里，”他说。“我经常被欺负。他们朝我脸上吐口水，还揪我的眼睛。”

尽管遭受虐待，南表示他决定专注于自己能控制的事情。

“我觉得我应该尽我所能做到最好，”他说。

他一直名列学校前茅，但在高中最后一年，一个意想不到的时刻彻底改变了同学们对他的看法。

Nam说，他和三个朋友一起参加了学校的才艺表演，他们在全校师生面前表演了后街男孩和超级男孩的歌曲串烧。

“它爆炸了，”他说。

一直以来在学校里都比较低调的南，在展现出同学们很少见到的一面后，突然成为了众人关注的焦点。

事后看来，这段经历意义非凡。南俊后来在韩国发展成为一名歌手和艺人，之后又将事业拓展到国际市场，包括美国。

左图：Eric Nam / 图片来自 YouTube

多年后，南先生描述了他当年的痛苦经历，他说他的母校现在邀请他回去参加百年校庆。

他说，由于与这所学校相关的痛苦回忆，他仍然不确定是否要回去，但他正在考虑是否要回去。

回想起那场改变他人生轨迹的选秀节目，南将功劳归于帮助他走上聚光灯下的组合。

他说：“如果没有后街男孩，就不会有埃里克·南。”

本文原载于 Xportsnews，经人工智能生成系统改编，并由《韩国时报》编辑。