Kim Hyun-joo Recalls Why She Stepped Away From Acting and Went to Britain

Actor Kim Hyun-joo, 49, appeared alongside Lee Moo-saeng and Jin Sun-kyu in an October 11 video on Yojeong Jaehyung. The three were introduced as cast members of the tvN drama 100 Days of Lies. Kim looked back on her debut, her early variety-show appearances and the workload that led her to step away from acting. In response to questions from Jung Jae-hyung and Jin, she also described how she approached work after returning.

Kim recalled making her debut in the 1996 music video for Kim Hyun-chul’s “Il Saeng-eul.” She said she was cast after a single photo appeared in a magazine while she was working as a model. She went without an agency for a time after her debut and handled simple appointments alone even after joining one. Kim said she was sent to variety shows early in her career when senior artists at her agency could not appear. She recalled feeling little gratitude for those opportunities at the time. She thought the agency was sending her from one program to another without properly looking after her, and acknowledged that she was often angry. When Jin asked whether that anger had subsided, Kim said she no longer felt angry.

Kim said she had worked continuously for about 5 years before stopping. At one point, she was juggling 2 or 3 dramas and variety work. She described a schedule in which her makeup was removed while she slept and reapplied before she resumed filming. She said she was unprepared for that pace and became completely exhausted. Kim played Choi Seo-hee in Toji, which aired from November 2004 to May 2005. She said the role felt overwhelming at the time and that she had felt sorry and embarrassed, as though she had let the production down. Thinking about the project still gives her chills, she said. Kim said she took a 3-year break after finishing the drama Toji. She said she had told her agency she intended to stop working after that project.

Kim said she spent several months in the UK when she was about 27. Living alone for the first time made her realize how little she could do by herself, she said. She attended a language school but did not continue for long. While considering work outside acting, she thought about buying a vehicle and traveling around Korea to sell fruit. After returning to Korea, she missed being on set and received another project offer, which prompted her to consider acting again. Kim said she decided to take on only 1 project a year after returning to acting. She said she also reduced variety appearances and interviews outside her projects to put herself first and avoid becoming exhausted again. Asked how she covered her expenses during the break, she said she had savings from earlier work and advertising jobs.