A North Korean defector and actress, who was beloved under nicknames like “North Korea’s Hwang Shin Hye” and “North Korea defector IU,” made a comeback to broadcasting after an 8-year long hiatus.
Kim Hye Young, appearing as the main guest on Channel A’s program Beauty Clinic Touch Me aired on September 25th, honestly shared the reasons that forced her to stay away from broadcasting.
Kim said, “I took an 8-year break. There were difficult times, and I felt I had to focus on my child,” revealing that she went through serious hardships including three divorces and fraud victimization.
She had a son with her second husband, actor Kim Sung Tae, but divorced him. Her third husband was also arrested in 2018 on charges of stock price manipulation and violations of the Capital Markets Act, leading to another painful divorce.
Kim decided to step back in front of the camera again because of a comment from her son. She said, “My child asked me, ‘Mom, when are you happiest?’ When I said broadcasting, he said, ‘Mom only smiles when you do what makes you happy.’ I realized I hadn’t been smiling.”
Encouraged by her son, she made up her mind to return. However, the long trials and stress left deep marks on her body, mind, and skin.
At a meeting with her close comedian friend Kim Hyun Young, Kim Hye Young said, “My son has hit puberty. On top of that, I’m going through menopause. I kept holding it in, but the stress built up. I gained 8 kg in 6 months.”
Listening to this, Kim Hyun Young advised, “You should meet a good person. Is divorce a sin? I’m divorced too,” suggesting remarriage. But Kim Hye Young, who had experienced divorce three times, drew the line firmly by saying, “If I were like you, after one time I’d look again, but now I’m not investing in men anymore. I’m going to invest in my face.“