'Heart Signal 4' cast member Kim Ji-young said she is satisfied with living as an influencer after leaving Korean Air Lines.
Kim Ji-young uploaded a video titled "How does someone who left a dating show three years ago live?" to her YouTube channel on July 7.
In the video, Kim Ji-young answered fans' questions. About the decisive reason for deciding to quit, Kim Ji-young said, "These days are the AI era, and social change has brought a crisis to every occupation. I think I realized that a bit earlier because of COVID. When COVID broke out in 2020, there were only one or two months a year when I actually commuted. Although my length of service is seven years, you could say I was off from work for almost two years."
Kim Ji-young said, "During that period I became healthier first of all. When I was a flight attendant I suffered from severe insomnia. I didn't even recognize it until I rested and realized, 'my body was really getting damaged a lot.' Some people adjust well to time differences and sleep well, but I couldn't. So I couldn't sleep much, and because I couldn't sleep well I developed polycystic ovary syndrome during that time and experienced extreme mood swings. Looking back now, I was impulsive about many things," she confessed.
She added, "So I began to wonder, 'If I stay here, what kind of person will I become?' I was afraid of leaving a stable job, but the way I would be if I stayed felt scarier." She explained, "After flying, I was so exhausted physically that I had no energy to do anything else and became someone who only worked, and I was terrified by the feeling that my growth had stopped. For the me at that time, continuing to stay employed was the much more frightening option."
Asked whether she regrets choosing the life of an influencer, she said, "Actually I spent my entire twenties working in places that demanded intense physical and mental stamina. So the life of an influencer feels like a blessing to me. It feels very much like that."
Kim Ji-young said, "I think I'm very blessed, and I see it as a blessing given to an ordinary, unremarkable me. At first, until about three years ago when I started, the word influencer itself felt like a concept that hadn't been clearly defined, and I don't think I even understood exactly what I was doing, but now it's fun. And I feel a lot of responsibility."
She added, "Another good thing is that whatever else I do, I can still continue working as a YouTuber. I think I'll continue the life of a creator going forward."
Meanwhile, Kim Ji-young married Yoon Soo-young, founder and chief executive of the reading club platform Trevari, in February. After announcing her pregnancy with the marriage, she is due to give birth in July. Kim Ji-young and Yoon Soo-young recently appeared on the SBS variety show Dong Sang-i-mong Season 2 - You Are My Destiny, where they revealed their newlywed life.
[Photo] video capture
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