Min Do-hee reveals driving a used BMW amid career hiatus

Actress Min Do-hee, after opening up about her financial struggles and long hiatuses, has revealed the foreign car she has been driving for eight years. While the actress, who once showed a strong presence in her works, confessed to the reality of working part-time jobs to make a living, attention is being drawn to the fact that she has been frugally maintaining an unexpectedly old foreign car.

On the 31st, Min Do-hee released a video titled "I went to wash my car in 40-degree weather (+ youthful maintenance routine)" through her YouTube channel 'Mini Do-hee.' In the video, she shared her daily life by personally driving her vehicle, which she hadn't been able to wash for a long time, to a self-service car wash.

When the production team asked about the vehicle, Min Do-hee explained that it was a used car she purchased in 2018. In particular, she stated that at the time, it was in a condition close to a new car, with a mileage of less than 5,000 km.

"I've been driving it well for a long time. I think I was lucky," Min Do-hee said, adding that she "purchased it in the late 10 million won range," including acquisition and registration taxes. Considering that she has been driving the same vehicle for about eight years, the focus is placed on her lifestyle of managing consumption and using one vehicle for a long period, rather than simply the fact that she owns an expensive foreign car.

This vehicle reveal is even more eye-catching because Min Do-hee has recently been relatively honest about her economic situation and her long hiatus as an actress.

In July, Min Do-hee appeared on the SBS variety program 'My Little Old Boy' and revealed that she has been working part-time jobs to make a living as her hiatus grew longer. During the broadcast, she became a hot topic as her realistic side was revealed—seeking work herself to cover living expenses, unlike her glamorous image as an actress.

Min Do-hee's mother also mentioned her daughter's long hiatus, confessing, "Her self-esteem had dropped significantly." However, she explained that after starting to work, her daughter actually regained vitality and improved psychologically. The confession resonated deeply because, rather than spending the time when her acting activities slowed down in lethargy, she tried to manage her own life.

Min Do-hee first stepped into the entertainment industry in 2012 as a member of the girl group Tiny G. Later, as she expanded her field of activity into acting, she became widely known to the public through her appearance in the 2013 tvN drama 'Reply 1994.'

'Reply 1994' is a work that restores the lives of youth and college campuses in the 1990s, and it was an important turning point for Min Do-hee, who was a rookie at the time. She drew attention by naturally portraying the character Cho Yoon-jin, who had a bold personality and spoke in a fearless Jeolla-do dialect. The strong energy and unique acting style emanating from her small stature were points that differentiated her from the main characters of the work.

In particular, Cho Yoon-jin functioned not just as a supporting character, but as a figure who showed the relationships, desires, and affection for family of the youth at that time. Min Do-hee also broke the prejudice of being an idol-turned-actress, imprinting her potential as an actress and laying the foundation for her subsequent acting career.

Since then, Min Do-hee has been active across dramas, films, and variety shows. Depending on the work, she has played various roles ranging from students to people engaged in social life, giving personality to her characters through her distinct clear impression and natural realistic acting.

However, having secured recognition in the entertainment industry does not guarantee continuous acting activities. Especially as the production environment of the broadcasting and video content market changes rapidly, the opportunities for actors to appear also vary greatly depending on the success of the work, the number of productions, and the programming strategies of platforms. It is possible to analyze that the hiatus experienced by Min Do-hee is also intertwined with an industrial environment that is difficult to explain by individual ability alone.

This vehicle reveal also needs to be viewed in this context. While a celebrity's car is often consumed as a symbol showing economic success or consumption levels, in Min Do-hee's case, the fact that she has been driving the same vehicle for a long time and purchased a used car at a reasonable price was emphasized.

In particular, her explanation that "it was a car that hadn't even driven 5,000 km" and "I think I was lucky" reveals an attitude of placing meaning on the fact that the purchase conditions were good at the time, rather than flaunting the car itself. The fact that she has maintained the vehicle for eight years without replacing it also shows a practical approach to consumption, regardless of her professional image as a celebrity.

Recent updates from Min Do-hee also reflect the inherent uncertainty of being an actress. Even if an actor is remembered by the public for a successful project, the gaps between works can lead to economic and psychological burdens. Unlike regular employment, acting is often project-based, meaning income can become irregular when activities are suspended.

Nevertheless, Min Do-hee is choosing to be open about her life rather than hiding her hiatus, showing herself balancing part-time work with her acting career. In her recent video, rather than flaunting luxury, she showed herself managing an older vehicle at a self-service car wash in the heat.

Ultimately, Min Do-hee's recent actions challenge the common perceptions of a star's life. There can be a significant gap between a celebrity's public image and their actual daily life, and enduring career hiatuses is a reality that cannot be ignored in an entertainer's journey.

As she prepares for a comeback as an actress while taking responsibility for her own livelihood, interest is growing in what kind of work she will return with. Following the strong impression she left through 'Reply 1994,' all eyes are on how she will shape her second chapter in acting after this long hiatus.