Actress Baek Jin-hee looked back on the intense early days of her career, candidly revealing the hardships hidden behind her sudden rise to fame, her struggle with panic disorder, and the financial damage caused by a double contract dispute. While she is well-known to the public as a bright and stable actress, her confession regarding the significant trial, error, and psychological pressure she endured before making her name resonated with many.
In a video uploaded to the YouTube channel 'Jiny Is Back' on the 6th, Baek spoke openly about the most difficult periods of her acting career.
"I think it was always difficult," she said. "This might sound arrogant, but because I lived so intensely, I don't have the confidence to go back to those days. I don't know if the current me could pull it off like I did then."
She explained her feelings at the time, saying, "When I was young, my desire to do well was overwhelming. However, since it was a time when I lacked experience, there were things that couldn't be solved just by working hard. Every time I faced that reality, I felt disappointed in myself, and that process felt exceptionally difficult."
Baek recalled that her life changed completely after the MBC sitcom 'High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged,' which imprinted her name on the public.
"Before 'High Kick,' I was an ordinary person wherever I went, but after the broadcast, I couldn't even go to everyday places like supermarkets or the subway comfortably," she said. "Because I suddenly received so much attention, when I went to crowded places, I had this strange sensation as if I were the only one standing still while everyone else was moving."
She confessed, "Looking back, I think that was when my panic disorder began."
Baek revealed that she overcame these mentally difficult times through artistic activities.
"My mind became much more stable after I started learning pottery," she explained. "The time spent making something itself healed me, and thanks to that, I was able to get through that period well."
The most heartbreaking story mentioned that day was the double contract issue she faced early in her career.
Baek revealed, "When 'High Kick' was just starting, I was already under contract with a company, but at the time, my manager told me that all contracts with my previous company had ended. I believed those words and proceeded with my activities, only to find out later that the contract had not been terminated."
Ultimately, legal action was initiated by her previous agency, and the situation unfolded more seriously than expected.
Recalling those moments, she said, "Certificates of contents started arriving continuously. Since it was a time when I had just begun to make a name for myself, it was a situation where my acting career itself could have been shaken."
Above all, she confessed that she had to personally bear the financial losses.
Baek expressed her bitter feelings, saying, "I eventually had to pay all the appearance fees I had worked so hard to earn through 'High Kick' as penalty fees. Through that experience, I learned the hard way that you should not trust people too easily."
Despite facing sudden popularity, psychological pressure, and contract disputes in succession, she has since solidified her position as an actress through steady work.
Having debuted in the 2008 film 'Man in Search,' Baek has built a wide acting spectrum by appearing in various genres, starting with 'High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged' and continuing with 'Pots of Gold!', 'Triangle', 'My Golden Daughter', 'Missing Nine', 'Let's Eat 3: Begins', 'The Real Has Come!', and 'The Judge Returns'.
This confession drew empathy from many viewers as it calmly conveyed the realistic difficulties an actress had to endure behind the glamorous spotlight. In particular, the fact that behind her success lay a time of psychological burden, contract issues, and even financial loss makes the journey she took to reach her current position even more meaningful.
