Actress Choi Kang-hee revealed her connection with Kim Hye-ja.
On the 5th, Choi Kang-hee appeared as a guest on KBS2’s ‘Problematic Children in the Rooftop Room’.
On that day, Choi Kang-hee attracted attention by mentioning that during her break from activities, she worked part-time washing dishes at a meat restaurant after receiving a suggestion from Kim Sook to be a housekeeper. When Choi Kang-hee expressed her gratitude for this, Kim Sook said, “I thought Choi Kang-hee should be doing something. It was quite serious at that time. I even tried to stop her from leaving the entertainment industry.”
At that time, Choi Kang-hee worked for 4 hours at Kim Sook's house, doing cleaning and laundry. Choi Kang-hee smiled and said, “Being in Kim Sook's space was mentally comforting and healing. I worked for a year. We didn’t have many deep conversations, but we had fun while she paid me my salary and bonuses.”
When asked, “Why did you decide to retire?” Choi Kang-hee honestly replied, “I couldn’t fully enjoy acting as an actress, and being loved by people felt burdensome.” Song Eun-yi added, “Choi Kang-hee experienced burnout.”
Choi Kang-hee stated, “When gossip about celebrities circulated, I thought, ‘Have I lived properly?’ I wondered what I would do if I faced an unfair situation. But I didn’t have the confidence to protect myself, and I didn’t think anyone would believe me. Because of those thoughts, I wanted to quit.”
Meanwhile, Choi Kang-hee mentioned that she is grateful to someone as much as Kim Sook and Song Eun-yi, referring to Kim Hye-ja. Choi Kang-hee said, “When I was about to take a break from acting, I was an NGO ambassador with Kim Hye-ja. I asked her if I had to quit being an ambassador if I stopped being a celebrity.” She continued, “Kim Hye-ja said, ‘Choi Kang-hee is really quirky.’ She looked at me cutely without being serious, which made me comfortable. Kim Hye-ja told me, ‘One day, when stories about people living without getting married like Choi Kang-hee come out, you can do it again then.’”
Choi Kang-hee then said, “A few years later, I met Kim Hye-ja. Suddenly, she said, ‘Choi Kang-hee is really unfortunate.’ When I asked why, she said, ‘Choi Kang-hee working must have been a source of pride for your mother, but now there’s no joy for her. That must have been her joy. What joy does she have now?’ Hearing that made me realize I was only thinking about myself.”
Choi Kang-hee stated that Kim Hye-ja's words became the reason for her comeback. Currently, Choi Kang-hee is working as a radio DJ and planning her projects. Regarding this, Song Eun-yi, the representative of Choi Kang-hee's agency, said, “Many projects are coming in. We are reviewing them. Many projects are coming in, and whether the roles are big or small, we are looking for something that Choi Kang-hee can do well. I think it would be good to find a project that she can enjoy and be happy with.”
[Lee Se-bin, Star Today Guest Reporter]
