Actor Kim Ji-sung successfully completed her first project after winning Miss Korea.
On the 23rd, Kim Ji-sung held a wrap-up interview at the OSEN building in Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, for the KBS2 daily drama "Cinderella Game" (written by Oh Sang-hee, directed by Lee Hyun-kyung).
"Cinderella Game" is also the first project in which Kim Ji-sung appeared after winning Miss Korea in 2023. The drama, which first aired on Dec. 2 last year, recorded a peak rating of 11.2% (99 episodes, according to Nielsen Korea nationwide) and concluded with a total of 101 episodes on the 25th.
Kim Ji-sung played the role of Gu Ji-eun in the drama. Gu Ji-eun is the younger sister of Gu Ha-na (Han Geu-ru) and works at the front desk of Hyesung Hotel after graduating from a junior college in hotel management. Kim Ji-sung portrayed the character of Gu Ji-eun, who is sometimes selfish and dreams of changing her fate by meeting a rich man, but she cannot be hated. Her multi-dimensional charm contributed to the drama's popularity.
After completing about six months of a grand adventure, Kim Ji-sung said, "It's half joy and half bittersweet. I thought I would feel refreshed after finishing, but since last week, I've been feeling very uneasy. I think this was a work that I had so much affection for, more than I expected."
"Cinderella Game" is also the first project Kim Ji-sung participated in after winning Miss Korea. Kim Ji-sung, who applied as candidate No. 17 for the 67th Miss Korea Seoul, confidently earned the title of beauty and won "Sun" at the 67th Miss Korea pageant. Applause and support poured in for her challenge, considering she had previously participated in the reality show "Produce 101" Season 1 and failed but later entered Miss Korea.
Kim Ji-sung, who completed a year-long journey in Miss Korea, returned to acting and chose "Cinderella Game" as her comeback project to meet with viewers. In contrast to others who won Miss Korea and continued their careers as influencers or celebrities, Kim Ji-sung is taking a distinctly different path.
Regarding this, Kim Ji-sung stated, "My original dream and direction were to be an actress. Even when I participated in Miss Korea, the title was a stepping stone for my acting career. I always thought my path was to continue as an actress. Therefore, even after winning Miss Korea, I don't think I considered a different path. The experience gained while working as an actress helped me during the Miss Korea competition. In terms of doing something in front of the camera or during interviews, other contestants participated as regular students, while I had some level of experience that allowed me to stay calm and raise my tension more on stage to shine myself."
In particular, about the help of the Miss Korea title, she said, "Being described with the word Miss Korea is an advantage. If I say I competed and won Miss Korea, people recognize me, and many seniors, such as Oh Hyun-kyung, Ko Hyun-jung, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Sung-ryung, and Lee Ha-nui, are active in the industry as Miss Korea graduates, so being part of their lineage gives me an extra chance for recognition and is helpful." When asked about the pressure due to preconceived notions about the title, she responded, "If you say Miss Korea, it sounds like a princess, glamorous and elegant. But I believe it is right to show a new character that fits the roles I play. I think it's manageable to separate Kim Ji-sung the actress and Kim Ji-sung the Miss Korea winner."
So, which would Kim Ji-sung want to challenge again: participating in "Produce 101" or entering Miss Korea again? Kim Ji-sung said, "If I had to choose between the two, I think I would participate in 'Produce 101' again. I was able to win 'Sun' in Miss Korea, but I did not debut in 'Produce 101,' so I would like to challenge for a debut again. I was a trainee for about 7 to 8 years, and when I began to work as an actress, my parents told me that while they believed I had talent as an actress, I might have talent as a singer too, and it was unfortunate for me to give up. I recently heard that. So, if I were to do something again, I would like to participate in 'Produce 101.'"
Kim Ji-sung said, "I inadvertently keep trying various things; while the outcome of challenges isn't predetermined, I feel that I am developing myself, and I feel joy. That's why it seems like I keep knocking on the door of challenges. Recently, the most joy I felt was completing 'Cinderella Game' safely. It reminded me of the passion I had when I first started acting, and there were moments when I felt overwhelmed, making me realize, 'Ah, this is why I started acting.'"
<Continued in interview②>
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