South Korean actress Lee Seon-jeong (이선정), who rose to fame in the late 1990s with her striking looks and distinct personality, previously made headlines for her whirlwind marriage to her ex-husband after just 45 days of dating, which ended in divorce four months later. After a long hiatus from the entertainment industry, she recently announced her official return. She launched a new YouTube channel, revealing her real life for the first time. Surprisingly, she is now helping her mother cook and wash dishes at her noodle shop, a stark contrast to her past that has sparked widespread discussion.
On May 24, Lee uploaded a video titled "No Turning Back, Discussing the Determination to Start Anew at Mom's Restaurant" to her personal YouTube channel, sharing an update on her life. In the video, she is seen wearing an apron and rubber gloves, bustling around the kitchen of her mother's noodle shop. She stated, "This is my mom's restaurant. If I don't work, I'm unemployed. Instead of staying home, I might as well come help my mom."
She skillfully stands before a steaming stove, cooking and draining noodles, and effortlessly lifts heavy pots. She admitted that she couldn't even cook noodles initially and only wanted to help serve dishes, but eventually learned to cook and wash dishes. She lamented, "Life is really hard now, it's truly difficult."
Discussing her recent situation, Lee said she has barely had any acting jobs for the past two years. "Isn't an actor without work just unemployed?" she asked. When she had no schedules, she helped at her mother's restaurant almost every day. She revealed that she had been living off her past savings, but her funds are now almost depleted. "Not only is the financial pressure immense, but not having work also makes me feel very empty in life."
Lee also spoke for the first time about her low point after her quick marriage and divorce. She stated that she married her ex-husband after only 45 days of dating, but the marriage lasted only four months, which was a huge blow to her. She admitted, "It was really painful back then, I even thought about just dying, and I developed severe panic disorder because of it."
However, 14 years later, her mindset has gradually changed. "Before, if divorce was mentioned, I couldn't even appear on a show; but now, divorce is no longer a big deal. I want to break free from the self that always retreated and move forward again."
She also recalled receiving treatment for panic disorder, experiencing intense heart palpitations where she could clearly hear her own heartbeat. Doctors prescribed medication, which she was told to take regularly. She said, "Later, I started thinking, how long do I have to rely on medication? So I decided to stop taking it."
Although she has stopped taking medication, she admitted that she still carries it with her for emergencies. "Whenever I feel symptoms coming on, I tell myself, 'The medicine is in my bag, it's okay,' and try to distract myself. However, sometimes I still feel anxious due to heart palpitations when I sleep."
Furthermore, she confessed that negative media coverage had caused her immense stress. She stated, "The media almost always reported negatively, which put a lot of pressure on me. Things only slowly calmed down after my last interview. I felt that if I kept avoiding the public, misunderstandings would only deepen."
Seeing many celebrities restart their careers through YouTube has now rekindled her hope.
She expressed that seeing many friends accumulate 1 million or 2 million subscribers on YouTube has greatly motivated her. "I feel it's my turn now. I am confident that I can meet everyone with my most authentic self, with nothing to hide. I am willing to share everything with you all," she said, demonstrating her determination to make a fresh start.
