Actress Kim Hyun-sook laid bare the very real worries and anxiety she faces while living as a celebrity.
Recently, Kim uploaded a video on her YouTube channel showing a slice of her everyday life in Jeju. In it, she kick-starts her morning with a foam roller, stretching, and a brisk walk. Even amid the tranquil scenery, Kim candidly shared the complicated emotions she feels as an actor.
“I always try to look into my own feelings,” she said as she spoke about the reality of being an actor. She continued, “Being a celebrity is practically the same as non-regular employment. When the work dries up, you become unemployed right away, so it’s hard to expect a stable income.” She added, “No one keeps handing you steady gigs, so you’re always thinking about what comes next,” opening up about the anxiety she faces in her career.
She also pointed out the gap between the public image of celebrities and the on-the-ground reality. “You see news about celebrities making hundreds of billions of won or buying buildings, but those cases are an extreme minority—about 0.1% of all actors,” Kim said. She added, “There are even claims that the actors’ association’s average annual income is around 15 million won. The reality isn’t easy—this industry has a massive wealth gap.”
Even so, Kim emphasized that she never stops preparing as an actor. Showing herself practicing a number from the musical Rebecca, she said, “You never know when the opportunity will come, so you always have to stay ready.”
Meanwhile, Kim first rose to fame on KBS2’s variety show Gag Concert with her popular ‘Chulsandra’ character. She later cemented her place as an actress by starring as Lee Young-ae in the drama series Ugly Miss Young-ae.