South Korean actors are seen living their life to the fullest with the fans who love them and a luxurious life that everyone would wish for, however, this life comes with downs of its own. While some of these problems come from the pressure the industry puts on talented actors, others take the route of creating problems for themselves.
The South Korean entertainment industry is surely one that is filled with flashy lights and brightly shining smiles, but the darkness within is not one that can be ignored. From scandals to the wish of wanting a normal life, here’s a list of Korean actors who quit acting and the reason for the same.
7 Korean Actors Who Quit Acting
Bae Yong-joon
Rising to fame after his much-acclaimed Kdrama Winter Sonata, Bae Yong-joon became of the biggest stars of the industry in the early 2000s. He went on to work in numerous dramas following the huge success and stepped behind the scenes as he retired from acting in 2007 and became the chairman of the management agency KeyEast.
Seo Min-jung
Seo Min-jung rose to fame in 2006 with the sitcom Unstoppable High Kick! and it seemed like there was no stopping her until she got married the following year and moved to New York with her husband. She gave birth to her daughter in the year 2008 and has been living a normal life with her family.
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Shim Eun-ha
Following her debut in 1994, it didn’t take long for Shim Eun-ha to become of of the most popular faces in South Korea. With Trap of Youth and Tell Me Something only adding to her fame, her career in the industry seemed to be rising steadily until rumours of her engagement surfaced in 2002.
Following this, Shim Eun-ha tried her best to remain out of the public eye while retaining her position as one of the most beloved stars of the industry. In 2005, she announced the news of her wedding and confirmed that she will not be returning to acting.
Lee Tae-im
Lee Tae-im is a South Korean actress who played the leading role in Don’t Hesitate (2009), and supporting roles in the dramas Days of Wrath (2013) and For the Emperor (2014). However, in 2015, she got into a fight with Kim Ye-won while filming the drama My Tutor Friend which had her receive public backlash and ultimately quit the drama as well as another show she was filming.
She was soon found to be not guilty of the incident and received a public apology from Kim Ye-won. Following this, Lee Tae-im played the lead role in Woman in Dignity (2018), after which she announced her sudden retirement, calling her quits after going through a hard time in the industry.
Heo Yi-jae
Previously nicknamed “Little Kim Tae-hee” due to her resemblance to the popular actress, Heo Yi-jae debuted in 2004 and rose to fame with her leading role in Prince Hours. She later starred in Single Dad in Love which brought another dose of fame to her career. However, she soon stopped her activities in the year 2016 with You Are a Gift being her last project.
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It was later in 2021 that she came forward to explain her reason for the same. She revealed that it was due to the incident of a married actor trying to sleep with her that she decided to leave the industry. Having a mental breakdown and with no one around her to help was why she came to this decision.
Choi Jong-hoon
The South Korean guitarist and musician made his acting debut in 2011 in the drama You’re My Pet and began a journey that could have been more fulfilling. However, in March 2019, he retired from the industry amidst allegations of illegally filming women without their consent, bribery, drunk driving and more.
Later that year, Choi Jong-hoon was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison.
Lee Seo-won
After his appearance in the 2016 Kdrama Uncontrollably Fond as Suzy’s younger brother, Lee Seo-won garnered attention and was soon cast for the main role in the drama The Liar and His Lover. Hailing from the same company as Park Bo-gun and Song Joong-ki, many had hopes for this young talent until his scandal broke out in 2018.
Lee Seo-won was charged with sexual harassment and threatening a female celebrity with a weapon after which his role in the drama About Time as well as from Music Bank was replaced. He pleaded guilty at the first trial but enlisted in the military before the fourth trial. Now, his case is being reviewed in the High Military Court.
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