On the January 30 broadcast of SBS variety show My Grumpy Secretary, Park Shin Hye appeared as the program’s sixteenth “My Star”. During the episode, he visited the restaurant his parents run before his agency’s New Year’s Eve gathering, sharing endearing stories about his longtime relationships with other actors.
In a carefree atmosphere, memories of the beginning of his career resurfaced. Now a 24-year-old veteran actress, Park Shin Hye calmly reflects on her childhood difficulties, saying, “I was scolded a lot. I cried secretly. I would go to the bathroom, cry, wipe my tears, and come back out. Sometimes, I even went to the Han River to cry.”
The conversation naturally turned to the 2003 SBS drama Stairway to Heaven, in which Park Shin Hye played the younger version of Choi Ji Woo’s character. During the show, he had to film a scene where his character gets slapped by senior actress Lee Hwi Hyang.
Park Shin Hye’s mother revealed, “After seeing her get beaten, I still can’t watch that drama.” It was shared that Park Shin Hye was slapped nearly 30 times during filming. His mother added: “He never told us how difficult it was, so we didn’t know. We only found out much later through his managers. As a parent, it broke my heart.”
This incident has also been mentioned in past broadcasts. In TV Chosun’s Star Talk Show, insiders said that Lee Hwi Hyang was known to give real slaps to achieve realistic acting. At the time, some MCs commented that “a strong take is better than more NG”. It was also noted that Lee Hwi Hyang reportedly felt particularly sorry towards Park Shin Hye.
However, many viewers now point out that for a child under 14 the experience could not have been trivial. Park Shin Hye herself once said, “Elder Lee Hwi Hyang always hugged me afterwards. Looking back, it must have hurt a lot, but at the time I didn’t even realize how painful it was.” Today, some viewers argue that the scene borders on child abuse when judged by current standards.
Park Shin Hye’s mother eventually tried to alleviate the situation, saying, “Thanks to those people, Shin Hye was able to become what she is today.” Lee Seo Jin lightened the mood by joking, “These days, she’s usually the one who slaps,” causing laughter.
Sources: Naver
