Choi Sooyoung reveals 'struggles' with Uhm Jeong-hwa's endless stamina

Actress Choi Sooyoung, formerly of Girls' Generation, revealed her close friendship with senior Uhm Jeong-hwa. Choi drew laughter by sharing her unexpected "hardships" regarding Uhm's incredible stamina and affection for her juniors, which often leads to dinners extending into a second or even third round.

During the JTBC variety program "Chef & My Fridge" broadcast on the 9th, singer and actress Uhm Jeong-hwa and Choi Sooyoung appeared as guests.

As soon as Uhm appeared, the chefs expressed their intense fandom. Jeong Ho-young revealed that he found great comfort watching "Stage of Friendship," which featured Uhm, during his military service.

Recalling those days, Uhm remarked, "I visited many military bases back then. At times, my popularity was so great that the stages would almost collapse."

Having passed through her glamorous heyday, Uhm has now become a senior who naturally hangs out with her juniors. However, she stated that she feels almost no generational gap with them.

When asked, "Do you not feel a generational gap with your juniors?" Uhm replied, "I'm not sure," noting that she communicates well with them.

At this, Choi dropped a decisive remark.

"I don't think I feel it. Sometimes, without even realizing it, I call her 'Jeong-hwa-ya.'"

The comment, showing a closeness intimate enough to call Uhm by her first name, caused laughter in the studio.

However, the conversation took a slightly different turn.

When it was mentioned that Uhm frequently has meals with her juniors, Choi revealed, "If you have a meal with her, you have to set aside a lot of time."

She added, "She goes to a second round and even a third round."

While a single meal might be sufficient for the current generation, for Uhm, dining with a junior is not a meeting that ends with just one meal.

The MCs and chefs explained that for the modern MZ generation, the mere suggestion of a meal from a senior or asking about their schedule on a day off could feel burdensome.

To this, Uhm looked flustered and replied, "But I kept asking them," providing another moment of laughter.

That said, the relationship between the two is not forced.

A recent anecdote was shared where Uhm and Choi even visited a karaoke room together.

Uhm said, "We went out for dinner not long ago, and that day, Sooyoung suggested going to karaoke. I loved it."

The two reportedly had a great time singing a medley ranging from Uhm's hit songs to Girls' Generation songs.

In particular, when Uhm double-checked with Choi, "You had fun, right?", Choi replied without hesitation, "It was so much fun. I want to go again."

However, another revelation emerged here.

Choi revealed that when she wants to avoid a gathering with a senior, she finds herself yawning uncontrollably.

Uhm immediately asked back, "That day?"

The studio erupted in laughter, and Choi also appeared flustered.

In the end, while it was a "night of fun with a junior" for Uhm, for Choi, it left behind the memory of potential yawns.

On the other hand, chef Yoon Nam-no showed a completely different personality. He stated that he almost never refuses a meal invitation from seniors, saying, "I tend to go to all of them. I'll go even if I'm dying of pain."

The reason was simple.

"First of all, I love eating."

This highlighted that "eating" is the most certain way to bridge the generational gap and create opportunities for dining.

Uhm also cited "listening" as the secret to getting along comfortably with her juniors.

She explained, "I just listen well. I think that's all it is," noting that she tends to listen to the concerns of her juniors.

She mentioned that counseling them naturally leads to meal gatherings, which allows them to meet once more.

The reason Uhm asks her juniors to eat, goes to a second round, and continues to a third is ultimately because she wants to talk with them for a longer time.

Ultimately, the relationship between Uhm and Choi revealed in this broadcast went beyond a simple senior-junior dynamic.

Uhm wants to become close enough to her juniors that she doesn't feel a generational gap, and while Choi is sometimes flustered by her senior's proactive intimacy, she accepts it comfortably enough to go to karaoke together.

A senior who goes up to a third round and a junior who sends signals through yawns.

Though their methods differ, it was clear that the two care for one another.