Musical actor Kim Ho-young shocked fans by revealing he once struggled with burnout.
On July 7, Kim uploaded a new video to his YouTube channel featuring Choi Jung-won. Over fried chicken, the two shared an unfiltered, heartfelt conversation.
Kim confessed he faced a major career crossroads in his mid-30s. "When I hit my mid-30s, I wondered if I should try something else. A senior told me, 'Ho-young, you're still young. It's a great age. You can do anything,'" he recalled.
That advice changed his mindset. "After I shifted my perspective, I was amazingly invited onto King of Mask Singer and Radio Star. I realized that just because something bad happens, it doesn't have to end badly," he said.
He also brought up the intense burnout he experienced while preparing for the musical Lempicka. "For the first time in my life, I went through burnout. It was a really tough period," he shared. "I called a senior to talk, and I ended up bursting into tears." He added that the show’s long monologues weighed heavily on him. "I struggled to memorize lines because there were so many expressions I don’t normally use. When I said that, my senior told me, 'It’s cooler because you’re saying things you don’t usually say.' That comment completely changed my thinking," he said.
Choi Jung-won echoed her affection and praise for Kim. "For 10, even 15 years, he’s created things only Ho-young could do," she reflected. "You’re so special that you’ll shine one day—and to me, you already shine." She also called Kim someone who brings happiness to people.
Meanwhile, the video drew attention because it dropped just as Ock Joo-hyun reignited talk of the past 'Okjangpan' controversy. The issue first erupted in 2022 when Kim posted on social media, "‘Asaripan’ is an old saying. Now it’s ‘Okjangpan.’" Around that time, controversy over the 10th-anniversary casting of the musical Elisabeth was brewing, and many interpreted Kim’s post as a jab at Ock Joo-hyun, fueling the fire.
Ock later filed a defamation lawsuit against Kim, but as the uproar grew, she dropped the case, ending the legal dispute. Recently, however, Ock mentioned the incident again on a fan-communication platform and on social media, implying that she "regrets withdrawing the lawsuit."