Heo Yang-im to document her true self on YouTube

Doctor Heo Yang-im has begun documenting her life as a complete individual, rather than just as "Doctor Heo Yang-im," through a new YouTube channel. Following the belated news of her divorce from Sechs Kies member Ko Ji-yong, public interest is shifting toward her new path as she uses the platform to share her daily life and personal thoughts.

The first video, titled "Vlog 001," was recently released on Heo's channel. The footage captures her daily routine, from preparing for medical consultations and working at the hospital to visiting broadcasting stations for recordings. While the scenes depict an ordinary day, they reveal a side of Heo that differs from the "medical expert" persona the public has grown accustomed to.

In the video, Heo explained her motivation for starting the channel.

“I have done a lot of broadcasting, but those programs were almost always about medical topics. I have rarely spoken about myself.”

Her words reflect a calm awareness of the public image she has maintained. While she has frequently appeared on broadcasts as an expert delivering health information, she rarely revealed the thoughts, emotions, or daily life of the person behind the professional title.

She expressed her intention to use the channel to share more personal stories.

“While this is a way to communicate with my patients, I also feel I should leave some traces of my thoughts and who I am as a person.”

This sentiment suggests that Heo's YouTube venture is more than just a celebrity vlog. Having lived through the roles of a doctor, a wife, and a mother, she now intends to document the "individual self" that was often obscured by those responsibilities.

The most significant recent change in Heo's life is her divorce from Ko Ji-yong.

A graduate of Ewha Womans University, Heo married Ko Ji-yong in 2013, and they have a son, Seung-jae. The couple previously shared their family life with the public on KBS 2TV's "The Return of Superman." Because their family was so well-loved by viewers, the news of their separation drew significant attention despite being revealed well after the fact.

Last month, Ko revealed the divorce via SNS, stating, “I divorced my wife two years ago,” disclosing the separation after a considerable amount of time had passed. It is understood that Heo is currently raising their son, Seung-jae.

In her YouTube video, however, Heo does not focus on her emotions regarding the divorce or her private history. Instead, she shows the quiet reality of working at the hospital, preparing for broadcasts, and calmly reflecting on her day.

This approach is perhaps what makes her transition so meaningful.

Public perception of celebrities is often defined by major milestones—marriage, childbirth, or divorce. However, real life is much longer and more complex than these singular events. What Heo seeks to capture through YouTube may be exactly that: the "time between events."

Her days as a doctor, her moments as a broadcaster, her life as a mother, and the private thoughts she holds when alone—all separate from her professional and familial labels.

Until now, Heo has been defined by titles such as "someone's wife," "someone's mother," and "doctor." Now, she is picking up the camera to reveal the story hidden behind those labels.

In this sense, YouTube is not merely a new platform, but a space for her to rewrite her own narrative. She is presenting herself not as the expert the world sees, but as a person who laughs, worries, works, and simply lives.

This is the core of her message in the debut video: “I also feel I should leave some traces of my thoughts and who I am as a person.”

Since she began releasing videos on the 5th, the public's focus has begun to shift. Moving beyond the label of "Ko Ji-yong's ex-wife," viewers are now looking forward to the personal story Heo Yang-im will tell on her own terms.

As one chapter of her life closes, a new record begins. This time, Heo is no longer a character in someone else's story, but the author of her own.