Jang Shin-young reveals why she sticks to the 1st floor

Actress Jang Shin-young revealed that while she toured a luxurious penthouse, she has consistently lived on the first floor of apartments to raise her children. While expressing envy for the high-rise living spaces often associated with actresses, she explained that the reality of raising two sons makes high-floor living difficult due to noise concerns and daily movement patterns.

On the 16th, Jang appeared in the video "Visiting Gangneung for the first time in 20 years ft. Actress Jang Shin-young," released on the YouTube channel Cho Soo-bin Curation, where she toured an apartment model house in Gangneung.

During the visit, Jo Su-bin said, "We came to see the model house because we heard a really great apartment is being built in Gangneung," before introducing Jang.

Jang took on the role of personally introducing the new apartment in Gangneung, a city with ties to her hometown. When Jo introduced her as an actress who was once "Miss Chunhyang," Jang smiled shyly and said, "Actually, I am the model for this apartment. I asked announcer Jo Su-bin because I wanted to introduce it."

The two examined the apartment model and toured the complex. During the tour, Jo's gaze turned toward the penthouse located on the top floor.

Jo jokingly asked, "There is a penthouse on the top floor. Don't actresses usually live in places like this?"

Jang's answer was unexpected.

"I want to live there too."

Contrary to the public image that an actress would naturally gravitate toward luxury residential spaces, Jang honestly expressed her envy for penthouse living.

However, there was a practical reason why she could not live in a high-rise apartment: raising her two sons.

"I have always lived on the first floor," Jang said. "So I was curious about and envied the air on the upper floors." She continued, "Because I have children and they run around, I cannot go to a high floor."

This highlights how she could not ignore the issue of noise between floors given her children's active lifestyle. In a household with young children, the floor of an apartment is not just a matter of view or preference, but a practical choice dictated by family composition.

In Korean apartment culture, noise between floors is a significant social issue. In homes with children, parents must consider the sound of running or playing being transmitted to the floor below, while neighbors on lower floors may become sensitive to everyday noise. Jang's choice to live on the first floor is a direct response to these realistic residential conditions.

Beyond the practicalities, Jang's comment that she "envied the air on the upper floors" suggests a sense of regret regarding the views, lighting, and openness that high-rise apartments provide. While penthouses are often seen as the pinnacle of residential luxury, they were not a viable option for Jang when considering her children's needs.

Born in 1984, Jang made a name for herself after winning an award at the 71st Miss Chunhyang Pageant in 2001. Since then, she has expanded her acting range through dramas, movies, and variety shows, and continues to connect with the public through programs featuring her family life.

Married to actor Kang Kyeong-jun in 2018, Jang is raising two sons. Her eldest was born in 2007, and as her second son, born in 2019, grows, the landscape of her parenting is gradually changing.

Jang has shown a candid side in her broadcasting activities. Unlike her glamorous professional image, she often reveals herself as an ordinary parent adjusting her daily life around her children.

The recent visit to the Gangneung model house highlighted this gap. While she admitted to wanting to live in a penthouse on camera, the reality is that she remains a mother who chooses the first floor so her children can play freely.

Residential choices are often discussed in terms of wealth or taste, but they are deeply influenced by age, lifestyle, and parenting methods. For those with young children, a ground floor can be a much more practical choice than a high-rise with a great view.

For Jang, the first floor was both a preference and a necessity for raising her sons. Her longing for the penthouse reflects a genuine curiosity about the lifestyle it offers, tempered by the realities of motherhood.

Jang appeared in the MBC daily drama "A Woman Who Swallowed the Sun," which ended last December, and continues to build a relatable image through appearances on programs like KBS 2TV's "Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant."

While she may envy the view from a penthouse, Jang's choice to stay on the first floor illustrates the gap between celebrity fantasy and the practical realities of family life.