Son Ho Jun moved to tears by Min Do-hee's struggle to make a living

Actress Min Do-hee, beloved as the 'little giant' in 'Reply 1994', has touched many hearts by revealing her unexpected recent reality. While the public still remembers her for her strong-willed character in that drama, the real Min Do-hee has been enduring a long hiatus, searching for part-time jobs to make a living.

The reality actors face behind the glamorous lights, and the tears shed by colleagues, felt like more than just an entertainment industry story; it was a story about a person's life.

On the SBS variety program 'My Little Old Boy' broadcast on the 26th, Min Do-hee appeared as a new cast member and shared her daily life.

Min Do-hee gained significant popularity for her role as Jo Yoon-jin in the tvN drama 'Reply 1994', where she skillfully spoke the Jeolla-do dialect. At the time, she left a deep impression on viewers with her fresh yet intense presence, earning recognition for her potential as an actress. However, her path has not always been smooth following that work.

The daily life of Min Do-hee revealed on the broadcast was different from expectations. She was browsing job recruitment sites to find part-time work and calling various cafes to inquire about working conditions. However, reality was not easy. As she received continuous responses that the conditions did not match or that hiring was difficult, the job-seeking process itself became another obstacle.

Ultimately, Min Do-hee contacted the owner of a cafe where she had worked in the past.

“My musical recently ended, and there is time left until my next project. I was looking for a part-time job I could do in my neighborhood, but since it wasn't easy, I contacted you.”

To this, the owner offered warm support, saying, “Do-hee, you will do well anywhere.” Min Do-hee's mother also had to watch her daughter's difficult times.

She said, “Because there was a slump for such a long time, my child's self-esteem dropped a lot. I told her to just go out somewhere first. I think her self-esteem is rising and she is gaining vitality while working.”

In particular, a special story was revealed during the broadcast as actors Baro and Kim Sung-kyun, who have maintained a 13-year friendship since 'Reply 1994', visited Min Do-hee's house.

The three of them called Yoo Yeon Seok, with whom they appeared together, and Yoo Yeon Seok mentioned Min Do-hee's part-time job status, saying, “I saw a video of her making coffee and serving. I thought she opened a cafe.”

They then contacted Son Ho Jun. In that process, the deep affection of her colleagues for Min Do-hee was revealed. Baro shared, “When I heard she was working a part-time job, Ho Jun hyung was so upset that he cried.”

Recalling the situation, Min Do-hee confessed, “I met them for the first time in a long while after finishing my part-time job, and they asked me what I had been doing, so I said I came from work. Then, [Son] cried, asking, 'Why do you have to work a part-time job?' Because he was crying, I also shed tears.”

The tears shed by Son were not merely out of pity. It was a complex emotion felt because he knew the journey of a colleague he had spent a long time with, running toward the dream of being an actor.

Kim Sung-kyun added, “I heard you were worried because Ho Jun didn't answer your calls for a few days,” conveying that Son was also heartbroken at the time, fearing that Min Do-hee might have been hurt.

Min Do-hee expressed gratitude for her colleagues' concern, saying, “My phone broke so I changed it, and when I turned it on, there were so many missed calls from my colleagues.”

However, the hardest moments were those spent with her family.

Min Do-hee confessed that while living with her mother during the time she had no work, “It was a difficult time for both of us.”

“I think my mom was also very mindful of me, and I didn't come out of my room much. My mom originally has a wild personality and is someone who would scold me, but knowing my situation was bad, she didn't touch me. Not touching me was also uncomfortable for both of us.”

Her mother also recalled the time, saying, “Because she was struggling so much due to the lack of work, I thought about whether she should quit being an actor. She wouldn't come out of her room, and we were both walking on thin ice, being mindful of each other.”

While the profession of an actor appears glamorous to the public, behind it exists a struggle against the anxiety of not knowing when work will stop. Min Do-hee's confession was not a story of a star's failure, but a story about a person with a dream fighting against reality.

She said, “I made a resolution when I became independent. My goal is to keep living by my own strength without moving back into my house.”

Like the bright and confident Jo Yoon-jin in 'Reply 1994', Min Do-hee is rebuilding her life in the face of reality. And by her side is the sincere support of colleagues who have remained longer than the drama itself.