He said, “I planned to stay longer, but I returned in a hurry after 3 years”. “I arrived in Korea in a hurry on a dawn flight, but my family situation was so bad that I could no longer support [my study abroad]. My father’s business was going well, but he was a kind person, so he got scammed a lot. “I moved from a nice house to a semi-basement, but all my stuff was just lying around, unorganized. My parents were also very depressed and lost,” she said, referring to her family’s financial situation.

She continued, “I was a middle school student at the time,” and added, “When my mom went out to work as a housekeeper, there were times when I would take her place. After entering high school, I worked part-time at a shaved ice shop, a meat restaurant, and a cafe. I don’t know if I have a strong personality or if I became strong after seeing my family go bankrupt.”

Kim Seong-eun’s father passed away the year she entered college. She said, “My family wasn’t in a position to support me. I applied for a leave of absence and started working part-time again. I did a sitcom, but it wasn’t very profitable. I really wanted to act, but I thought it wasn’t okay if it wasn’t now, so I worked at a company in my 20s.”

She then resumed acting on stage in 2018. “I met my husband at a private gathering while working as a theater actor in Daehangno and performing in the provinces,” she said. “We were like older sister and younger brother, but even at a young age, he was deep and reliable, and I felt comfortable when I was with him. My feelings for him gradually grew, and my husband said the same thing,” she said, drawing attention by revealing her relationship with her husband.

Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com Reporter jhj@donga.com