Actor Jae-hee broke her silence after past allegations of fraud and shared a recent update, and the story that she worked in a restaurant kitchen and did night shifts at a convenience store to make a living during her hiatus has been reexamined, drawing sympathy.
Previously, in March 2024 news emerged that Jae-hee had been sued on fraud charges by her former manager A, sparking controversy. At the time, A claimed that Jae-hee borrowed 60 million won under the pretext of establishing an acting academy but cut off contact without repaying the money.
In response, Jae-hee posted her position directly on social media in March of the same year. She said, "I am working to inform you of the correct outcome regarding the issue with the former agency representative," and added, "I am sorry for hurting many people's feelings with one-sided remarks that do not reflect the truth." In particular, she left the pointed remark "an actor is not a pushover," expressing her frustration at being wronged.
Time passed and in May 2026 Jae-hee appeared on broadcaster Shin Jeong-hwan's YouTube channel "Daktoshin" and candidly opened up about a life that had been hidden for a while. Jae-hee recalled the time after leaving the military when she gained great popularity with the drama "Kwaegeol Chunhyang," saying, "The ratings were so high they reached No. 1 in history," but added that there were unexpected barriers behind that success.
Jae-hee said, "Even though the ratings topped the charts, when I went to movie meetings I was told, 'You did a serial drama,' " and confessed, "Movies and miniseries suddenly stopped." She added, "There was an atmosphere that judged actors who appeared in serial dramas as having declined in status," and said, "Actors who did serial dramas will sympathize," expressing her frustration.
In the end, she said she chose a hiatus herself. Jae-hee said, "I thought if I disappeared for a while and returned, things might be different," and added, "I wanted to break the vicious cycle of only getting serial dramas," but reality was harsh. Because her face was well known, regular hiring was not easy and age was also an issue. Jae-hee confessed, "I worked for a long time in a restaurant kitchen and also did night shifts at a convenience store," and surprised everyone by revealing she developed hand eczema from wearing rubber gloves for long periods. She calmly said, "Working continuously in the kitchen led to this," which drew further attention.
Recently, Jae-hee, who also said she has started live broadcasting, added, "While doing live broadcasts I also worked at a restaurant and did night shifts at a convenience store."
The actor who once captivated viewers as Lee Mong-ryong in "Kwaegeol Chunhyang" has endured a fierce struggle offstage, and many messages of support and encouragement have followed.
[Photo] Screenshot of "SNS, YouTube" broadcast screen
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