Jaehee reveals struggle with part-time jobs after soap opera hiatus

A video titled 'What has actress Jaehee been doing all this time?' was released on 'Dak-teo-sin,' the YouTube channel of Shin Jung-hwan, who is known for Country Kkokko.

Jaehee revealed the reasons behind her hiatus and her current life. She rose to stardom in 2005 when the KBS2 mini-series 'Wonderful Chunhyang' gained massive popularity with a viewership rating of over 30%. After reaffirming her popularity the following year with the film 'The Art of Fighting,' she was active across both television and film. However, there has been no news of her since the 2021 MBC daily drama 'Be My Food.'

She expressed her frustration, saying, "Since soap operas are dramas that many people watch at home, I thought, 'This will be meaningful work,' which is why I decided to appear. But after filming a soap opera, the lineup of projects coming my way changed. Even though the viewership rating of the drama I filmed was quite high, near the top, film offers suddenly stopped and even mini-series offers dried up. When I went to discuss appearing in a movie, I was told, 'But you filmed a soap opera.' Most industry officials judge that an actor's status has dropped if they appear in a soap opera. I don't know where that idea came from."

She further explained her reasons for the hiatus, saying, "I really wanted to act, but there was no space for me to act. Requests for soap operas kept coming in, creating a vicious cycle. I thought the atmosphere would change if I disappeared and then reappeared, so I voluntarily took a break."

Regarding the other work she did during her hiatus, she said, "Since my face is known and I am at a certain age, I wasn't hired in most industries. So, I worked a lot in restaurant kitchens," while revealing hands affected by eczema.

She added, "Recently, I started TikTok live broadcasting. While doing live streams, I worked in a restaurant and am also working a night shift part-time job at a convenience store."

Meanwhile, in February 2024, Jaehee was sued for fraud by an individual claiming to be her former manager, but she was cleared of all charges following a police investigation.