{
  "id": 16272933,
  "title": "Eric Nam says classmates spat in his face — then a Backstreet Boys performance changed everything",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/eric-nam-says-classmates-spat-in-his-face-then-a-backstreet-boys-16272933",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-24T03:52:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/20261024/eric-nam-says-classmates-spat-in-his-face-then-a-backstreet-boys-performance-changed-everything"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Singer Eric Nam has shared his painful experiences of racism and bullying during his formative years in the United States. Nam appeared on the YouTube channel \"YouTube Ha Ji-young\" on Wednesday, recounting his days at a private school where he felt out of place among classmates from vastly different backgrounds. His parents had enrolled him in the prestigious institution, yet he noticed that his peers were predominantly from affluent families, while his own family belonged to a more modest socioeconomic status.\n\nNam explained that the disparities between them extended far beyond financial differences. He and his fellow students simply couldn't connect on a deeper level, as they inhabited separate worlds. The bullying he endured at the school was relentless; classmates spat in his face and even pulled back their eyes in mockery. Despite the constant torment, Nam chose to focus on the one aspect he could control - his academic performance. He continued to excel and rank among the school's top students, but it wasn't until the final year of his high school journey that an unexpected event occurred.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}