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I Wanted to Quit Because It Was Too Hard
A Heartbreaking Story of Endurance
Debuting in 2001 at the SBS Supermodel Contest and starting her acting career with the KBS2 drama ‘Sorry, I Love You’ in 2004, Choi Ye-jin, who has now expanded her career to various entertainment programs.
Despite her elegant appearance that may suggest a privileged upbringing, she and her mother moved to Canada alone after her parents’ divorce in the past, where she was deceived by a Korean immigrant who intentionally approached her and cheated her out of all her savings.
Choi Ye-jin, whose mother, who had lived a wealthy life, suddenly fell ill and suffered from depression as she could not work, dropped out of high school and started earning money to support her.
She revealed, “There were many times I wanted to live as I pleased, but every time, my mother’s face came to mind, and that’s what kept me going. I worked various part-time jobs like at the post office, restaurants, and Japanese restaurants while taking care of my mother.”
At that time, the owner of the chicken restaurant where she was working part-time recommended her to participate in a supermodel contest because of her tall height, which eventually led Choi Ye-jin to step into the entertainment industry with a successful performance.
Choi Ye-jin had been actively working for 8 years since her debut, but she left for Canada to spend time with her mother, who was longing for her.
She recalled, “I wanted to relax and not think about anything while eating the meals my mother made. But my mother seemed to have accumulated a lot of stress all this time, and she poured it out on me. I was also struggling so much that I wanted to go back to Korea.”
However, they understood each other’s difficult situation at that time and reconciled. Currently, Choi Ye-jin’s mother is happily remarried to a man 8 years younger, and Choi Ye-jin herself expressed her desire to date by revealing, “She looks so happy that I want to date too.”
She revealed that she gifted her mother a house with a large courtyard in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, as a present for her remarriage, and she reported that her mother and stepfather are still doing well.
Choi Ye-jin said, “I saw my mother struggle alone a lot after my parents’ divorce when I was young. So, I talked to her every day about dating, and now that I see her living well, my heart feels light.”
She also chuckled, saying, “Even though he’s 8 years younger, my stepfather is over 60 years old but he’s quite playful. Sometimes he’s reliable, but still, a younger man is a younger man.”
Her Surprise Confession
Meanwhile, Choi Ye-jin, who had envied her mother’s love life, also drew attention by revealing that she is currently dating a man 7 years older with divorce experience.
She revealed, “He is in the sports business, so we met while working out. At first, he was completely different from my ideal type, and I didn’t like him at all. He was the opposite in appearance, and shorter than me.”
She continued, “But we were able to be friends and got to know each other for a long time. As we spent time together, I slowly began to develop feelings for him. Our sense of humor, food preferences, and hobbies all matched well with mine.”
Choi Ye-jin expressed her affection, saying, “I call my boyfriend ‘Ahjussi.’ If he’s handsome, I call him ‘Oppa,’ and if he’s not, I call him ‘Ahjussi.’ But it’s not what you think; it’s the ‘Ahjussi’ from ‘My Mister’ or ‘My Ahjussi’.”
Netizens reacted with comments like, “Your ideal type is your ideal type, but there’s someone else you have feelings for,” “Choi Ye-jin is truly a filial daughter,” “She went through a lot but grew up well,” showing various responses.