gugudan’s Sejeong Reveals How TWICE’s Jihyo Helped Her During Hard Times

gugudan’s Sejeong held an interview to celebrate the release of her first mini album Plant and revealed some of the hard times she went through as an idol.

After participating on Mnet’s Produce 101, her journey as a K-Pop idol has not been an easy one. After winning second place on the show, she debuted through the project group I.O.I before joining gugudan. She also gained much recognition for her roles in the dramas School 2017 and I Wanna Hear Your Song.

Normally a bright and happy person, Sejeong reveals that there were times that she felt scared and anxious about her position in the industry. “I am usually the type to let my agency know if I can’t do something because my schedule is full. I once took off a month to rest but after not doing something for so long, I felt scared that people would forget about me.”

Whenever she was feeling tired or down, she always had great people by her side. “Depending on the situation, I always had the support of my high school friends or friends who were in the same industry. My family also always keeps me grounded throughout hard times.”

She revealed a time where it was hard for her to get out of a rut and decided to take a rest in the country side. TWICE’s Jihyo asked her to go on a trip together and although she was one of Sejeong’s closest friends, she felt that she wanted to be alone. Jihyo stepped up and told her that if she was going to be alone that they should be together. The two ended up going on a trip together and ultimately felt better afterwards.

However, the biggest thing that allowed her to get back up on her feet was her own self. She wrote herself a letter as she asked herself ‘Your album is coming out soon. Are you sure you won’t regret the state you are in now later on?’ She was able to come to her senses after writing a letter to herself.

Sejeong’s goal is to be a positive icon. “I used to be excessively positive before. But sometimes that would backfire and make things harder on myself. I think it’s important to be positive on things that come from reality. It becomes hypocritical to act positive while hiding your real self. I’ve fixed this about myself and am happy with my positivity now.”