'Study Group' drops actress Han Ji Eun's stills
Hallyu star Song Hye Kyo came on tvN's variety show Yoo Quiz on the Block, where she talked in depth about how she's changed from the past, how she addresses rumors about her, and more.
This marked her first variety show appearance in 23 years. Yoo Jae Suk asked if she was nervous before coming on to the show. Song Hye Kyo replied, "I was extremely nervous. If I had done variety shows more often, it might have been fine, but since it's been such a long time, I worried about whether it would be fun and whether I'd be able to speak well. Since I decided to do it, I wanted to make it fun."
Song Hye Kyo on how she prepared for Dark Nuns
Song Hye Kyo also talked about how she prepared for her upcoming horror K-movie, saying, "Acting is always difficult for me. Always. This time [for Dark Nuns], I took on a genre I've never tried before, so even before filming began, I was worried, wondering, 'Will I be able to portray emotions while perfectly reciting the prayer lines?' If I made even the slightest mistake with the lines, the emotions would be completely disrupted. So, I practiced constantly, reciting them after I woke up, while doing the dishes, until I could bring them out with a tap."
Song Hye Kyo opens up about the slump she once experienced in her acting career
She candidly revealed, "My first successful project was a melodrama, so I kept getting similar roles. At some point, I started watching my own acting and found it boring. I thought, 'The viewers must find this really boring.' I felt depressed because my expressions weren't diverse, and I felt like I didn't have any talent for acting. It was embarrassing, and I even thought about whether I should take a break," as she opened up about a slump she had experienced. She shared she overcame such obstacles step by step.
She also said, "Now that I'm in my 40s, I can see that I am different from the younger actors in terms of appearance. I thought, 'Now I really need to act well. This isn't an age where I can rely on looks anymore.'"
Song Hye Kyo shares she isn't bothered by hate comments
The actress shared, "Having worked for a long time [in the industry], I've heard a lot of rumors here and there. Sometimes, during interviews or when meeting people I don't know well, they would ask me about those rumors. In those instances, I would reply, 'I've heard that too. You should ask the person who started the rumor.'" "I've gotten so much hate that, to be honest, I'm used to it now. It doesn't bother me when I get hate comments, but when they are directed at my family, it breaks my heart. Since I started working at a very young age, there have been big and small rumors. Because of my job, I often let them go in one ear and out the other. But there have been times when I feel, 'This is a bit too much.'"
Song also shared, "I've never put myself first. It was always my family, my beloved friends. I was always second to myself. I've always blamed myself a lot. I could only see my mistakes. I'm sure there were things I did well, but I only noticed the things I did wrong, and that [at times] made me feel irritated all of a sudden. In relationships, I tried to do well but made mistakes, and I acted in a wrong manner because I didn't think things through. I knew I needed to shake it off and move on, but I kept thinking, 'Why did I do that? I shouldn't have done that,' and those thoughts kept tormenting me," she confessed.
Regarding how she overcame difficult times, she went on to share she followed the advice of writer Noh Hee Kyung: "During that period, I was regularly in contact with writer Noh Hee Kyung, who told me, 'You need to know how to love yourself first in order to give more love to the people around you. And you'll also see the world in a better light.' [But I remember thinking], 'How do I love myself first? I don't even know how to do that.'"
Song Hye Kyo shared, "She suggested, 'Let's do a morning and evening routine.' For the morning routine, I would write down how I planned to spend the day and what kind of life I want to lead. For the evening, before going to bed, I would write down ten things I was grateful for that day. I did this every day for five years. I stopped doing it last year. The first time, when I had to write down 10 things I was grateful for, I couldn't think of a single one. When I reached out to writer Noh, she said, 'Isn't it something to be grateful for that the weather was nice today, that you had food to eat and didn't starve, that your dog is healthy, and that you could see beautiful flowers?' After that, I had so many things to write. I used to only think about big things, but when I started appreciating the small things, there are so many things to be grateful for," she explained.
"The projects I wanted to do or things I wanted so badly never ended up being mine. That brought me a lot of disappointment, but at some point, I started to think, 'Let's not be greedy.' I decided to just go with the flow. If something is meant to be mine, it will come to me; if not, it will go to someone else. Because of this mindset, I have no regrets about the past — as a woman, as a person, or as an actress. There were happy times, bad times, and painful times, but that's just life. Those times might have been really tough [for me], but now I see them as valuable lessons that helped me move forward."
Song Hye Kyo continued, "From then on, before doing anything, I started asking myself: 'Do I [really] want to do this? Do I [really] want to eat this?' By checking in with myself, my happiness doubled."
Song Hye Kyo's mother's wise advice to her
On the show, Song Hye Kyo spoke about being described as having a bold (manly) style, saying, "I used to hear that I was bold more often when I was younger. In my 20s and 30s, my personality was such that I would take the lead. I was often reckless. That's why people close to me would say those things, but now, I've changed a bit. Now, I don't step up. I just stay still. My mother used to tell me that if you stay still, you can at least come in second place. She advised me to stay put if I wasn't sure about something. Her advice turned out to be right."
When asked if her honesty had ever caused misunderstandings, she replied, "I've had more fights than misunderstandings. People ask me why I speak so bluntly. If I feel like I went too far, I apologize right away. I'm an INFJ [introverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging], but people around me say I seem more like a T [thinking]."
Song Hye Kyo on how she maintains herself
"Since entering my 40s, I've been exercising more diligently, making sure to work out 5 to 6 times a week. I also take good care of my skin and I visit my dermatologist regularly, and I never skip my supplements. They are a must."
Song Hye Jyo on what's true happiness for her
Song Hye Jyo also expressed her agreement with actress Go Hyun Jung's remark that "being boring is a luxury." She said, "In the past when I was younger, I loved being the topic of conversation wherever I went and having my name mentioned in the news. But now, I am happy that my name isn't in the news. When I wake up in the morning and see that my name isn't mentioned, I think, 'Ah, my name isn't there. Great.' It hasn't been long since I realized that having a quiet day — even if it's a little boring — can be true happiness."
