Seo Jung Hee shares bold new look while battling breast cancer

Broadcaster Seo Jung Hee, who has been battling breast cancer, has quietly released photos taken in Shanghai, China, during the early winter of last year. More than her youthful appearance or slender figure that defies her 63 years, what caught the eye was a style vastly different from her usual self. Having experimented with intense colors, bold makeup, and unique hair styling, she shared a moment where she stepped away from her familiar image to test a 'new me.'

On the 24th, Seo released several photos taken during her trip to Shanghai in early winter last year on her SNS. She wrote, "While organizing photos, I am looking back at a few scenes from my trip early last winter."

While it may look like a simple release of travel photos, her appearance in the pictures was markedly different from the neat and restrained image Seo usually presents. The first thing that grabs attention is the makeup. Instead of using a brush, Seo spread green eyeshadow with her fingers and finished her cheeks and lips using her fingertips. Rather than perfectly calculated makeup, it was a method of surrendering to the sensations and atmosphere of the moment. She explained the time by saying, "I wanted to step away from my usual self for a moment and try some bold and different makeup."

Her hair and clothing were also unconventional. In one photo, she created a unique silhouette by wrapping a scarf around her head like a turban and matching it with a turtleneck sweater. In another photo, she tied her hair in a neat bun and paired it with a yellow tulle skirt and a green top. Although it was a combination that could have looked excessive in color, Seo naturally pulled it off with her own unique vibe.

Above all, the reason these photos are drawing attention is that Seo did not stop at merely flaunting a 'youthful appearance.' She revealed that she washed off the makeup immediately after the photo shoot was over. She wrote, "I washed off the makeup right after taking the photos, but that short experiment was quite enjoyable. Because Beauty does not always reside only in a finished face."

This also connects to the change in how Seo views appearance. For someone who has built a neat and feminine image through broadcasting for a long time, this attempt is close to an act of temporarily departing from existing aesthetic norms. She stepped away from the framework of age-appropriate styles, the appearance expected of women, and the familiar image of a star to the public to experiment with her own tastes.

Seo added, "I believe there is beauty in the courage to step away from a familiar appearance and in the attitude of looking at myself from a different angle. Beauty is an attitude."

In essence, she expanded the definition of beauty from being limited to youth or physical perfection to a matter of attitude and choice in how one views oneself.

In particular, her confession that she agonized before releasing these photos again carries even more meaning when considering her recent life. After disclosing her battle with breast cancer, Seo has been relatively honest about her daily life, including her treatment process. Illness can go beyond physical changes and serve as an occasion to look again at the body and face one has become accustomed to perceiving. For her, having passed through such times, these photos are read not just as a record of a trip, but as a small experiment in looking at 'the current me' through a new lens.

She also posed a question to her fans. Her question, "Have you ever expressed yourself in a way that is different from your usual self?" contained a message not to fear one's own changes. It suggests that rather than staying in a familiar appearance out of consciousness for others' evaluations, attempting a different look boldly is also a way of self-expression.

It is also noteworthy that Seo's life itself has undergone significant changes. She married comedian the late Seo Se Won in 1982 and had one son and one daughter, before divorcing in 2015. Since then, while continuing her broadcasting activities, she has consistently shown interest in her own space, lifestyle, and interior design. Currently, she is in a public relationship with architect Kim Tae Hyun, who is six years younger, and since announcing her breast cancer battle, interest in her health and daily life has grown.

Therefore, these Shanghai photos are scenes that are too meaningful to be consumed merely as 'the youthful beauty of a 63-year-old.' What Seo showed is closer to an attitude of not being confined by age rather than a technique for hiding it. The flamboyant makeup was temporary and was washed off immediately after the photos were taken, but the experience of trying a different version of herself remained. And it required another moment of courage to bring that moment out to the public.

Even after passing through illness and the ups and downs of life, she refuses to be tied to a single fixed image. The message Seo conveyed through these photos ultimately transcends a conversation about appearance. Beauty is not just a finished look, but sometimes the attitude of stepping away from the familiar to view a new version of oneself.