Actress Lee Chae-young, who announced her return after about a year-long break, revealed her future activity plans and direction.
Lee Chae-young met with OSEN in Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 26th for an interview. Lee Chae-young, who abruptly withdrew from all programs including SBS Shooting Stars (hereafter "Shooting Stars") in January last year and suspended activities, described in the interview the circumstances that left her no choice but to stop activities.
She recalled, "In 2023 I appeared in two dramas, two movies, four variety shows, and programs where I appeared as a guest in between, including films that had not yet been released. Serial dramas have tight schedules. Even so, I did all of that within a year. The films had action, so I had to train, and Shooting Stars required continuous practice. On top of that, I managed my schedule and met people on my own, so I felt confident about my stamina, but my focus on set declined."
She continued, "At first I thought it was because I hadn't refreshed myself, so I even took a trip in the middle. I always traveled to relieve stress and thought I'd be fine, but when I looked at the filming results they were strangely disruptive. At first I wondered, 'That's strange, what is this?' Then a good opportunity came. We think that when an opportunity comes and the result is poor, the blow is bigger than when an opportunity doesn't come at all. If you try and the result is odd, it becomes a minus from then on. After the film ended and I roughly saw the edited footage, I thought, 'Did I act like this?' 'Does my image appear like this on screen?' 'This is a disaster,' and I admitted it."
She said that while it wasn't a leading role, she received an offer to be cast in a good production in a decent role. But she said, "When I read the script, the screen suddenly looked distorted. It felt suffocating. I thought this is a problem and that I should rest."
Lee Chae-young said, "I heard from 2023 that the economic situation, which worsened after COVID, would reduce productions in 2024 and 2025. Hearing that made me anxious, so I forcibly pulled work into 2023, and when a project I really wanted came in, I couldn't do it. I could have pretended not to know and done it, but I felt it would clearly be a nuisance to the team and a minus in life," explaining that she regretfully declined good opportunities.
She said, "I cried because I was upset thinking that if I don't take care of my health, I won't be able to do what I really want even if it appears. I had thought, 'I'm still young and mentally fine,' and neglected my health, but it gradually seeped out and I felt fear. I decided to quit what I was doing and apologized for turning down offers. Also, I thought if I stayed in Korea I'd work out of greed, so I went abroad to avoid looking at it," she said.
After taking a year off, she said her success-driven tendency changed a lot. Lee Chae-young said, "When I thought about 'what is true success in life?' it was doing what I really want, spending time meaningfully, and having peace of mind. I realized that taking care of and nurturing my mind is more important than doing it for anyone else," and added, "I thought stopping work would be a disaster. I thought if I said, 'I'll take a year off' and quit, the work would stop completely and it would be the end. But even if you rest briefly, it's not easy to start the next job, but the world doesn't end. There's a way everywhere. That's what I realized."
Having put a period on her activity hiatus and announced her return, Lee Chae-young also thanked fans who waited via SNS, saying, "The year-long adventure was really good. It was truly a necessary time." Asked about her year-long "adventure," she revealed, "I took a laptop and traveled to different countries and wrote a script. That has led to meeting good people and is moving toward results, and filming will start early next year," surprising listeners.
She added, "It's of course a small story. I originally thought of a feature commercial film, but it contained a lot, so I'm thinking of directing a spin-off version first as a short film. I and the CEO of a company called Video Brothers quietly formed a small creative group and have been active since last September. We had steady meetings with staff who would work with us, and casting should have started in November but was postponed overall due to situational issues. Originally filming should have started in February or March, but it looks like it will be delayed," she explained.
Lee Chae-young, who dreamed of becoming a cartoonist since childhood, said, "I've always liked stories, and I thought the roughly one-year break was a good opportunity. From my teens into my 30s, for 20 years I was dragged by the issue of making a living and couldn't take the lead, so I didn't reflect on what I wanted to do or what kind of person I am. But a woman's 40s seem to have a special meaning. I thought about how to welcome it and that some other development should happen. By giving my body a rest and letting my mind rest, interesting stories appeared," and joked, "It's not anything grand, but it's not bad, so it'll probably be adapted into a live-action, right?"
The genre is horror thriller drama. Asked whether she plans to appear herself, given her usual interest in the occult, she said firmly, "I don't think my image fits so I don't plan to appear. I'm cold-blooded about that part." She added, "I respect directors around the world so much. Honestly, when working on a project you analyze a written script to create a character, so even the slightest excuse remains, but this has no exit and I have to get everything right, so I'm aging," and laughed, "I used to push myself, but now I want to take time and go slowly. My dream is to debut as a director within my 40s. I'm not in my 40s yet. It starts next year."
Lee Chae-young's return was announced when she appeared on Shooting Stars in July. When a vacancy arose as Lee Joo-yeon, the goalkeeper of FC Actionista, left, Lee Chae-young stepped in to fill the spot. Asked why she chose to rejoin Shooting Stars, she said, "Shooting Stars is a sports variety show. Individual talent is important, but it's a team sport, and the pure moments from sweating and struggling together and the pure joy of winning were appealing," and added, "At our age we rarely get the chance to gather and interact. Meeting every week at a regular time to exercise together meant the program became a community. There's a wide range of professions, so it's great for observing people and broadening my perspective. From my standpoint it's a program good for mental health."
She said, "When working on a script you keep rewriting. After reading many genre-related materials and rewriting the scenario, my brain feels like it's melting. I felt dazed to the point of wondering if I'd ever lived this hard before. There were agonizing times. Before that, during the Korea-Japan match on Shooting Stars, the members pulled me out saying, 'Don't just write at home, come out.' I came out and watched the match and it relieved my stress. They pulled me out so I wouldn't keep using only my head. I'm grateful to those younger and older teammates. I nearly became mentally exhausted, but they pulled me out and made me run each time." She expressed gratitude toward the FC Fashionista members.
On future activity plans, Lee Chae-young said, "I plan to be active within limits that aren't excessive. Making films could be part of that. Slowly and steadily, I don't aim to become a huge star or seek any particular position. This is work I've continued doing. I can't leave it forever, but I don't think I'll push myself to the point of harming myself. That would make me feel sorry for myself. Of course results don't come without sacrifice, but rather than juggling many things, I think I should choose well and concentrate my energy on them."
She said, "In my 20s I thought opportunities came if you were physically and visually appealing. I believed appearance was everything and worked on that aspect. I emphasized body image during my peak. Toward the end of my 20s many young, pretty newcomers appeared and I thought, 'It's over, how will I face my 30s?' But I was fortunate to get a villain image, which helped me endure and act in my 30s. Thinking about how to greet my 40s, I thought creating my own voice and telling the stories I want to tell could be a good direction, so I'm working toward that."
In fact, Lee Chae-young drew attention in her late 20s in 2014 with an insightful remark that 'being noted for body image will end within three years.' She explained, "If people like something, it cools off in about three years. So after three years attention shifts to new celebrities or another troika, which is why I said that. It meant not getting carried away and maintaining objectivity. I meant you need something beyond looks—your own color and weapon."
She noted, "At that time I didn't know. Everyone spoils you and gives you good opportunities. But you can find answers in history. Even seniors who were very successful and beautiful may be unknown after 50 years, but those who kept their own colors consistently can have another heyday in works or variety shows later. Life is unpredictable."
She continued, "What I realized with age is that it's direction, not speed. I regret the impatience that made me rush. All the exposures in my 20s may have been impatience. Of course I received a lot of love and it's that kind of job, but rather than wanting to solidly build a filmography, I wanted to quickly broaden my recognition and do many things. Now it's not too late, so moving with the right direction could be what's needed for when I'm in my 50s and 60s."
Currently Lee Chae-young is working alone without an agency. She said, "My contract ended in 2022, so it's been three years. It isn't easy working alone. When you have a company, it's not just my livelihood at stake, so often you do work you must rather than what you want. Fortunately now I don't have company members to support, so I only need to be responsible for myself, giving me more freedom in choosing work. There are good things that come with the difficulty," and regarding a new agency she replied, "If a good opportunity comes."
Her acting activities are also on hold after the 2023 tvN drama Family. Lee Chae-young said, "If the opportunity arises," giving a positive answer about returning to acting. On plans for YouTube activities she said, "I'm not sure yet. I'd like a fun企획 to come in. Rather than showing private life, I'd prefer a planned, variety-style YouTube, but I'd be grateful for any opportunity."
Lee Chae-young began her acting career in earnest in 2007 with the SBS drama Witch Yoo-hee and has now become a 19-year veteran actress. When asked about changes or concerns she feels as she approaches her 20th year since debut, she paused and said, "Because I debuted early, I couldn't enjoy many things available to people in their 20s. I seem to be doing some of those things bit by bit now that I'm in my 40s."
She continued, "As I age, the question of where to place the balance between 'life as Lee Bo-young (real name)' and 'life as Lee Chae-young' deepens. The fact that I'm thinking about this while I should be fully immersed may be a nuisance to those who are giving their all. So I often worry about living a life that doesn't inconvenience others. Even if I don't achieve something urgently, if I'm a person of value, that value will be conveyed sincerely in some form someday, so I try to live as a proper person."
She candidly said, "You can tell what kind of person someone is. It shows. In the past I rushed to focus only on immediate things and made poor choices or prioritized rushing, but now I want to make more correct choices. I want to make proper choices and stay healthy; I think my thinking has shifted in that direction."
Looking toward the end of 2025 and goals for the new year 2026, she wished, "I hope many people around me stay uninjured and healthy, and that the projects we're working on yield good results. It may not be next year but the year after, but I hope for good outcomes. And health seems important. I hope I don't get sick."
[photo] Lee Chae-young
[OSEN]