Actress Heo Yi-jae appeared in public for the first time in 8 years with a dramatically changed look since the drama 'You're a Gift'.
On the 2nd, a video titled 'Thank you for really coming out' was released on actor Ji Dae-han's YouTube channel 'Byung-jin Hyung'.
The video captured the actors of the movie 'Sunflower' (directed by Kang Seok-beom), which was re-released on the 28th of last month, gathering in one place after a long time. The main cast of 'Sunflower', including Kim Rae-won, Kim Hae-sook, Heo Yi-jae, Kim Byeong-wook, Han Jeong-soo, Ji Dae-han, Park Cheol-ho, and Lee Ho-seong, attended a commemorative event for the re-release held at CGV Yeonnam on the 30th of last month.
Released in 2006, 'Sunflower' depicts the story of a man, Oh Tae-sik, who had to live in the shadows without dreaming of anything, as he finds hope by embracing the fence of family for the first time. With memorable lines like "Did you really have to take everything to feel relieved?", 'Sunflower' is regarded as a masterpiece of Korean action noir.
On that day, Kim Hae-sook entered the waiting room and warmly greeted the director with a hug. In particular, when she saw Heo Yi-jae, who played her daughter Choi Hee-joo, she exclaimed, "Oh my, is that you (Heo) Yi-jae? Oh my, I thought you were someone else," and embraced her joyfully.
Heo Yi-jae, who made a rare appearance, had changed so much that it was not surprising that Kim Hae-sook did not recognize her. Not only had she lost a lot of her chubby cheeks from the past, but her overall facial features looked so different that she seemed like another person, drawing attention.
Netizens reacted with comments like "I really can't recognize Heo Yi-jae," "What happened?", "She has become a different person," "I'm so glad, but is it really Heo Yi-jae?", "She was really pretty, but time flies...", "Even when I paused the screen and stared for a long time, I couldn't recognize her at all," and "Heo Yi-jae has become someone else."
Heo Yi-jae has had a hiatus from acting since the SBS daily drama 'You're a Gift' in 2014. In 2021, she made a rare appearance on former Crayon Pop member Way's YouTube channel 'Wayland'. At that time, Heo Yi-jae revealed that the reason for her retirement decision was due to an actor A, who is now happily married. She claimed that actor A had demanded a one-time sexual encounter and verbally abused her.
Following Heo Yi-jae's revelation, netizens began speculating about who the perpetrator A might be. In response, Heo Yi-jae stated, "I did not create this to target someone, so I ask you to refrain from witch-hunting," but as more victims came forward, she eventually apologized, saying, "I called the actor who was unfairly mentioned because of me to express my apologies," and added, "If there are those who are disappointed in me for not being brave enough to fight, I want to apologize."
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today reporter]
