On the February 11 broadcast of tvN’s variety show You Quiz on the Block (hereinafter You Quiz), episode 331 featured actress Shin Se Kyung as a guest.
When introduced as if she were in her 28th year since debuting, Shin Se Kyung bursts out laughing. Yoo Jae Suk reacted in surprise, saying, “28 years? In another two years, it will be 30. I’ve been in the industry for 35 years – you debuted just a few years after me.” Shin Se Kyung replied, “I debuted when I was very young.”
Born in 1990, Shin Se Kyung first attracted public attention in 1998 as a poster model for Seo Taiji’s album. She shared, “I don’t remember exactly, but through someone my mother knew, I went to what was a meeting or an audition. I remember feeling angry that I had to miss a friend’s birthday party.” She added that she performed a tearful acting scene at the director’s sudden request, thinking all sorts of thoughts at the time.
After debuting by chance, Shin Se Kyung became active as a children’s program host on programs such as TV Kindergarten Hana Dul Set and Ding Dong Dang Kindergarten. Yoo Jae Suk expressed amazement, saying, “Were you the girl folding paper next to teacher Kim Young Man? Was that you?” He was also surprised to learn that at age 15, she beat 2,000 applicants to 1 to be cast as Kim Hyun Joo’s younger counterpart in the epic drama Land, and that she read the entire novel Land to prepare for the role.
Yoo Jae Suk described her as someone who seems capable and composed in everything she does. However, Shin Se Kyung said about herself: “I’m actually a very shy person. I’m cautious by nature. I’m the type who touches a stone bridge before crossing it and sometimes doesn’t cross it at all. I always choose the safest path. In everyday life and while working in Korea, I’m careful about everything, careful with my words and actions.” Yoo Jae Suk agrees, pointing out that unpredictable things can happen in their profession no matter how cautious one is.
Shin Se Kyung added, “Even during interviews, I tend to tone down my words,” joking that this has made her a long talker.
He also revealed why, after gaining immense popularity thanks to High Kick Through the Roof, he reduced his workload instead of building on the momentum. “I thought fame and popularity were like a huge sharp knife. If I didn’t handle it well, it could be dangerous. Once you’re in that position, you have to live your whole life being careful about your words and actions. Not just me, my family too. They call themselves ‘Shin Se Kyung’s mom’ and ‘Shin Se Kyung’s dad’, so they had to be careful too,” she explained. “It takes a lot of energy to live this way, always being aware. There really is no shortcut.”
She emphasized that having time for self-reflection is essential. “I do it all the time. After today’s recording, I’ll have to think if I said something wrong,” he said, making Yoo Jae Suk laugh.
When Yoo Jae Suk gave her the nickname “Seomsegyung” (a play on words between “meticulous” and her name), she replied, “You could say I’m meticulous, or you could say I’m sensitive. But you have to be sensitive. There’s no choice if you want to work for a long time.” He added jokingly: “Double checking is part of my daily life.”
When asked what life means to her now, Shin Se Kyung said, “I don’t think happiness should be postponed. It’s important to understand what you like and what makes you happy, and to find and enjoy small pleasures in everyday life.” And once again he added with a smile: “This is just my personal thought. This is how I live.”
Sources: Netizenbuzz
