Singer and actress Shoo opened up about her principles on raising her three children.
On the 16th at a café in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, S.E.S. member Shoo met with OSEN for an interview.
Shoo, who debuted in 1997 as part of the SM Entertainment girl group S.E.S., formed a trio with Eugene and Bada and established herself as a first-generation idol, producing numerous hits such as "I'm Your Girl", "Oh My Love", "Dreams Come True", "I Love You", "Running", and "Embrace". They gained great popularity across generations and left fans disappointed when they disbanded in December 2002, but they made a surprise full-group reunion in 2016.
Shoo married former handsome basketball player Lim Hyo-seong in 2010 and raised one son and two daughters in a happy family, but they faced the biggest crisis of their lives when a gambling scandal erupted. After deep reflection and repentance, three years later in 2022 he shed tears of remorse during an internet broadcast, but during that process an unexpected "revealing outfit" controversy occurred, and afterward Bada criticized Shoo over the wardrobe, leading to rumors of discord.
After going through all the ups and downs and returning as the person Yoo Soo-young, she recently opened the YouTube channel "Human That's Shoo" and candidly addressed rumors such as her husband Lim Hyo-seong's "divorce rumors," once again appearing before the public. She is currently active in broadcasting, developing health foods, involved in cosmetics businesses, resuming acting activities, and regularly volunteering with a disability association.
Shoo said, "After the YouTube channel went public, I didn't ask the kids' reactions, but my husband is really worried. (laughs) He keeps trying to check their reactions with me. He asks, 'Can't you just tell me once that I look like Kim Nam-gil?' (laughs) At home, my husband and I were talking and saying, 'It was all about you,' and our oldest son said, 'You two look good; that's a relief.' I was surprised to hear that," she laughed.
The faces of the three children are blurred on YouTube or covered with cute characters. The production team is taking extra care for the children who are going through puberty.
Shoo said, "At first my kids said, 'Mom, I don't want to be on it,' so I reassured them, 'Don't worry, I won't let you appear.' But as time passed, the kids gradually got used to it. Recently, when we were filming in Japan, a female producer came carrying a backpack as big as her body. The backpack looked like it weighed 20 to 30 kg. The kids were moved seeing how hard that producer worked and said we should buy her something at the convenience store. I'm grateful they grew up kindly," she said.
Answering the question, "How did you raise your children?" she said, "I always thought, 'How would I feel if I were in their position?' when raising my children. I figured they would dislike too many rules and nagging, so I watched quietly and only spoke at moments that were really necessary. The kids understand. Raised that way, they even set their own curfews. My eldest son Yu is now in the third year of middle school and plays the piano well and seems emotional. (Since he grew up the same way he was) I told him to become an actor. (laughs) The twin daughters are good at English. I mostly encouraged self-directed learning, and fortunately they followed well. I always tell them that mom creates the environment, and finding the fun within it is up to you," she explained.
Finally, when asked about her future plans, Shoo said, "I think everything will move naturally. Above all, I want to work with good people. We are a profession that is made, that creates, and shares ideas, but for several years I was far away from that place. I was lonely, to be honest. My passion and soul were dead, and I was just a shell. I kept asking myself, 'What am I?'" she said. "Now I have plans and things I can do passionately; even the moments of worrying are good. I don't know what opportunities will come to me, but I want to give my all. It seems people are not meant to die yet," she said with a smile.
[photo] Shoo herself
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