Hanni, a member of the group EXID and an actress, revealed her heavy heart over the past. From an indefinite postponement of her wedding to a changed appearance, all of this was rooted in 'letting go.'
Hanni's domestic activities have been on hold since July of last year. After acknowledging her relationship with mental health expert Yang Jae-woong in 2022, she planned to have a wedding in September 2024, but an incident involving a patient death at Yang Jae-woong's hospital changed everything.
At that time, a 30-year-old woman surnamed A was hospitalized for treatment of weight loss drug addiction at a hospital operated by Yang Jae-woong, where she died after 17 days. This incident surfaced two months after Ms. A's death. Yang Jae-woong expressed his remorse, stating, "I can't hide my deep sorrow regarding the incident that occurred during the hospitalization process. I sincerely apologize to the family members who are grieving the loss of their loved one." However, his belated apology two months after the incident stirred public outrage.
Some netizens applied a form of collective punishment, arguing that Hanni, who was supposed to get married, must have known about this. Choosing silence, Hanni voluntarily withdrew from a variety show she was scheduled to appear on and subsequently halted her domestic activities. With the wedding with Yang Jae-woong scheduled for September indefinitely postponed, Hanni continued to perform abroad as a member of EXID.
Hanni's appearance on MBN's 'Oh Eun-young Stay' was her first return to broadcasting in a long time. Limiting her appearances to domestic shows, this marked her first return since the patient death incident and the indefinite postponement of her marriage, raising great interest in what stories she would share when meeting Oh Eun-young.
Meeting Oh Eun-young, Hanni appeared as just 'a person' rather than the EXID Hanni or actress Ahn Hee-yeon we knew. Presenting herself without stage costumes or sophisticated makeup, Hanni revealed her unadorned face and comfortable attire, stating it was "a choice to let everything go."
Hanni said, "I started my career in entertainment too early. When my contract ended, I realized I was unaware of the world and had lived like a frog in a well. I couldn't answer who I really am." She added, "From then on, I began to take time to find myself. I started meditating, carried a backpack, and frequently went on temple stays." In fact, Hanni disclosed her recent activities in March in Dharamshala, northern India, which was a time for her to find herself.
Hanni remarked that her appearance on 'Oh Eun-young Stay' was a kind of declaration, saying, "I am now trying to muster the courage to be disliked. Through this show, I want to let go of those kinds of worries. I believe that the moment I speak with determination is the beginning of change. Hearing from Dr. Oh Eun-young that 'it's okay to live like this' gave me strength. It felt like my small worries and doubts were disappearing."
After about a year of halting domestic activities, Hanni appeared, showing a noticeable change to the extent that one might wonder if this was 'the Hanni we knew' or 'the Ahn Hee-yeon we knew.' As she practiced 'letting go' and the process of finding herself, it remains to be seen how much more comfortable Hanni will become and what choices she will make in the future.
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