Actor Choi Yeo-jin recalled her early debut days.
On the 21st, a video titled "From model to actor, actions in my 20s to achieve my dream" was uploaded to the "Yeo-jin's" channel.
That day, while playing a drinking game, when the production staff asked, "Back in college, people did a lot of that kind of thing and hung out a lot. Did you do that too, nuna?" she replied, "No. I entered (college) a bit late. I was active. I attended with people who were 11 years younger than me. I was in the Department of Theater and Film, but I was already a working celebrity. So rather than the professor introducing newcomers, when I came in, people greeted me more enthusiastically," she recalled.
When asked, "Then how was your college life?" she said, "I just worked hard. Because I didn't want people to say I entered college as a celebrity and just attended roughly to get a degree. I felt I had an age and wanted to set an example. If you didn't meet the attendance days, there were more assignments. I kept doing those assignments on drama sets," she said.
She went on, "I think the best thing I did was go to college late. Because around when I was 22, I came back from studying abroad after drinking and had a reality check. What am I doing now? I came to succeed, so what am I doing now?" she confessed.
The production staff said, "It's not easy to think that way," surprised, and Choi Yeo-jin said, "It's not easy. But success was my goal. I have talked a lot about this on broadcasts: when I was young my cheeks were very chubby, so famous fashion designers would keep me on, but when lined up with models, I looked too babyish and short, so they kept cutting me. During rehearsals and fittings, in front of juniors. It hurt my pride. So I thought I had to change, and I dieted like crazy then," she recalled her modeling days.
She said, "I dieted so much that when I wore model clothes I would look slimly dropped, so the work then was no joke and I stood as a main model. But at that timing I decided I would be an actor, so I cut off that work. Then I debuted in 'I'm Sorry, I Love You' after about nine months or six months. So the senior models were a bit displeased, saying, 'You're going to be an actor,'" she said.
She added, "But the reason I can enjoy leisure like this now is because I worked hard when I was young. So I always tell the younger people around me: in your 20s, unconditionally work hard for success. It's not too late to play afterwards. Rather, you'll play more stylishly then," she expressed her conviction.
Meanwhile, Choi Yeo-jin held a private wedding ceremony with sports businessman Kim Jae-wook on a cruise in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, in July this year.
[Photo] OSEN DB, Yeo-jin's
[OSEN]