Lee Min-ho, Nearing 40, Learns to Embrace Solitude: "I Want Someone to Be With Me"

South Korean actor Lee Min-ho (이민호), who is nearing 40, has recently started to embrace living alone. Appearing on the YouTube show 'Shin Dong-yeop's Zzanbro' (신동엽의 짠한형), he made a rare confession that he was almost always accompanied in the past, and only after turning 35 did he gradually learn to enjoy his time in solitude.

In the 'Shin Dong-yeop's Zzanbro' episode released on the 14th, Lee Min-ho appeared as a guest alongside Ryu Hye-young (류혜영) and Kim Dae-myung (김대명). Host Shin Dong-yeop (신동엽) asked him, "You've probably never eaten alone at a restaurant, have you?" Lee Min-ho revealed that he actually dines alone frequently in Japan. "A few years ago, I intentionally changed my lifestyle, wanting to try and enjoy time by myself."

Even more surprisingly, Lee Min-ho shared, "About two or three years ago, I also started going to the airport by myself." This astonished everyone on set. Ryu Hye-young couldn't help but exclaim, "That's a bit surprising. How did you manage to live like that?" Lee Min-ho explained, "Before, there was simply no opportunity for me to do these things alone."

He admitted that he didn't deliberately live a life where he was always accompanied. It was simply that for a long time, there were always people around to take care of him, and he always had friends with him. "Naturally, there would always be someone by my side looking after me, and friends accompanying me." Due to being accustomed to acting with those around him for so long, he rarely had moments in the past where he truly needed to do things by himself.

However, after turning 35, Lee Min-ho's perspective gradually shifted. He confessed, "I felt that if I didn't get used to spending time alone, it might become very difficult later on." So, from that point, he also mustered the courage to try traveling solo.

But he didn't immediately enjoy solitude. Lee Min-ho recalled his first solo trip to Japan: "At first, it was really uncomfortable. When I was alone in Japan, I'd inexplicably feel a bit awkward and restless." As his experiences traveling and dining alone gradually increased, he has now become completely accustomed to it. "Now I feel very comfortable." From initial discomfort to now being able to enjoy time alone, his lifestyle has undergone a significant transformation.

However, Lee Min-ho also admitted that he still enjoys spending time with others more. He stated, "Rather than eating alone, I'm the type of person who feels happier when eating with others and sharing the deliciousness of the food."

He has also gradually realized that he is someone who cares deeply about "who he is with." He explained, "No matter where I go, I'm influenced by 'who I go with.'" In other words, although he has now started to learn to enjoy solitude, for Lee Min-ho, what truly makes him happy is still sharing life with important people.

Meanwhile, Lee Min-ho is set to meet audiences soon in the film 'The Assassins' (암살자들), co-starring Kim Dae-myung and Ryu Hye-young.