Defector Kim Hye Young: "I won't invest in men anymore"

“I won't invest in men. I want to invest in my face.”

Actress Kim Hye Young, once beloved as the "Defector IU," revealed a completely transformed outlook on life after enduring hardships including divorce and fraud.

Appearing on Channel A's "Beauty Clinic Touch Me" on the 25th, Kim showcased her changed appearance, noting visible pigmentation, nasolabial folds, neck wrinkles, and skin sagging as she feels the effects of aging.

Her morning routine proved even more surprising. Immediately after waking, Kim uses a gua sha tool on dry skin, followed by exfoliation and repeated cleansing, even going as far as rubbing her face with alcohol swabs. The routine left Ahn Hyun Mo surprised, as he asked, “Isn't that what you use to wipe a phone screen?”

Kim revealed she took an 8-year hiatus from broadcasting after facing difficulties such as divorce and fraud. The turning point for her return to the industry was her child asking, “Doesn't Mom smile more when she does things that make her happy?” She also confessed to recent stress caused by the overlap of menopause and her son's puberty, which led to an 8kg weight gain in just 6 months.

After defecting in 1998 and settling in the Republic of Korea, Kim established herself in the entertainment industry, gaining attention as "North Korea's Hwang Shin Hye" and the first defector actress.

Having gone through three divorces, she has now drawn a line against remarriage. When her friend Kim Hyeon Yeong comforted her, saying, “You should meet a good person. Is being divorced a crime?”, Kim firmly replied, “I won't invest in men anymore. I want to invest in my face.”

From her glamorous heyday to experiencing divorce, fraud, and an 8-year hiatus, Kim's focus is no longer on remarriage, but on reclaiming herself. Her resolve to "invest in her face" captures her journey to find herself again after the long ups and downs of her life.