A Failed K-Pop Career And A 15-Year Struggle Period After— Actress Seo Hyun Jin’s Incredible Journey

On November 20, Seo Hyun Jin appeared as a special guest on You Quiz on the Block and shared her incredible journey from a K-Pop idol to one of the most well-respected actresses in the industry.

Seo, who already has a 24-year-long entertainment career under her belt, initially started out her career as an SM Entertainment girl group member. She was the main vocalist of the group M.I.L.K., which debuted in 2001 with a studio album, With Freshness. The group, however, lasted only a year, leaving Seo uncertain about her career.

“We only performed on broadcast four times,” Seo recalled, adding that she joined the K-Pop world without fully realizing its risks. After majoring in Korean dance at a middle and high school specializing in Korean traditional music, Seo was scouted on the streets of Ewha Women’s University. She changed her major after her debut, but M.I.L.K was gone in a year. As more time passed, she faced a heartbreaking reality. Seo said that when she was invited by her Korean traditional music peers for a performance, she realized she could no longer dance.

I remember crying a lot after the performance at that time. When I was a trainee, I didn’t think I would change my major. I was swept away by the waves and ended up doing something else.

— Seo Hyun Jin

With her remaining contract period with SM Entertainment, Seo changed her career path and focused on acting. She started attending acting school and even worked as a practice partner for other debuting actors. After spending four years in this state, Seo finally made her debut in a small role in Hwang Jin Yi. But for the next seven years, she had no work whatsoever.

Seo revealed that between her debut and her breakthrough role in Another Miss Oh, there was a 15-year gap that she spent working part-time jobs to ends meet.

With Another Miss Oh, Seo finally received the recognition she deserved and even won the Best Actress Award at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards. But after such a prolonged struggle, Seo said she couldn’t enjoy the success out of the anxiety of losing it all again.

After walking through such difficult paths, Seo Hyun Jin has fortunately carved out her own place in the industry as one of its most respected actresses.

You can read more about Seo Hyun Jin’s recent whereabouts here.