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00:00The Boys Over Flowers cast looked like they had perfect lives, but the reality was shocking.
00:17One star lost $13 million in legal battles over violence accusations.
00:22Another was sleeping in parking lots while attending one of Korea's toughest universities.
00:27A cast member's husband got blackmailed for millions while she was pregnant.
00:33And one actor completely vanished for five years after a family tragedy.
00:39Today, we're uncovering what really happened to each cast member after the cameras stopped rolling.
00:46Lee Minho.
00:48In 2006, Lee Minho was just starting to build his career.
00:53He wasn't a superstar yet.
00:54He was just a young actor on a road trip with his friends, excited about what might come next.
01:01But one car ride changed everything.
01:04The vehicle crashed while heading to Gangwon Province.
01:07The two people in the front seats died instantly.
01:11Lee Minho and his friend, Jung Il-woo, were in the back and barely survived.
01:18Lee fell into a coma for a month.
01:19When he woke up, his body was broken.
01:23He had multiple fractures in his ribs, thigh, and ankle.
01:28His knee was torn.
01:30A 46-centimeter metal pin had to be inserted in his thigh.
01:34And one of his legs was left permanently shorter than the other.
01:38For the next year, he couldn't walk, act, or even stand without pain.
01:43At that moment, his dream of becoming a star nearly ended before it had the chance to begin.
01:51That's why his rise after the accident felt so unbelievable.
01:56When he finally landed the role of Gu Joon-pyo in Boys Over Flowers,
02:02no one could see the pain he had lived through.
02:04The character became iconic, and Lee Minho became the face of a generation.
02:11But the success didn't mean the danger was over.
02:15In 2011, while filming City Hunter, he was in another car crash.
02:20The trauma from that accident made his past injuries worse,
02:24and it would affect him again later in life.
02:27When the time came for his mandatory military service,
02:31he couldn't serve as an active-duty soldier because of those injuries.
02:35From May 2017 to April 2019,
02:39he worked as a public service officer at the Suseo Social Welfare Center.
02:45Some people questioned his military path,
02:47but few understood the physical pain he still carried from years ago.
02:51Then came something no one expected.
02:54In 2022, he stepped into Hollywood with the series Pachinko.
02:59It was bold, dramatic, and deeply emotional.
03:03His performance didn't just impress his longtime fans.
03:06It stunned critics.
03:08The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Collider
03:11all ranked his episode among the best TV moments of that year.
03:16It was no longer just about looks or charm.
03:19It was proof of how far he had come as an actor.
03:22But even with success, Lee Minho has shared how hard it is to carry that spotlight.
03:29He said being at the top for 12 years came with pressure
03:33that made him feel like one mistake could ruin everything.
03:37In recent interviews, he admitted that sometimes he feels like he could fall at any moment.
03:43In July 2025, he revealed something even more personal.
03:47After losing his dog, he said he cried for days.
03:52It made him realize how lonely fame can be
03:55and how much he now dreams of getting married by the time he turns 40.
04:00Even with all the emotions behind the scenes,
04:03his business side is stronger than ever.
04:06He represents 11 major brands
04:08and covers 27 different product categories.
04:12From Hugo Boss to Fendi to Cuckoo, he's everywhere.
04:17His face is trusted by millions across Asia
04:20and that makes him one of the most in-demand celebrities for endorsements.
04:25Now, he's preparing for something huge again.
04:28His new film, Omniscient Reader, has a 30 billion won budget
04:33and marks his return to movies after almost 10 years.
04:37He says the pressure is different this time.
04:40Dramas come with weekly feedback.
04:43But a movie is a one-shot thing.
04:46He admitted that he feels burdened
04:48by how clearly the audience will judge his work.
04:51Still, he's stepping back into that world with everything he's learned.
04:56All the pain he's survived.
04:59And a heart that's still healing.
05:01Koo Hyesun, she was once the face of innocence on Korean TV.
05:06The girl every viewer rooted for.
05:09Koo Hyesun wasn't just a character in a drama.
05:13She was a symbol of hope.
05:15But her real life didn't follow a script.
05:19The fairy tale started falling apart in 2019
05:21when her marriage to Anjai Yun crashed in the public eye.
05:26At first, they seemed like a perfect couple,
05:29even giving their wedding money to charity.
05:32But then, private messages leaked.
05:34They showed a relationship full of bitterness,
05:37mistrust, and emotional collapse.
05:41Koo accused him of emotional neglect.
05:44He said she lied her way into his apartment
05:46and recorded him in his sleep.
05:49The situation got worse
05:51when An revealed he was on medication for depression
05:54and struggling financially.
05:56He had sold his home
05:58and taken loans to meet her demands.
06:01When the divorce was finalized in 2020,
06:04it left both of them bruised
06:06and fans stunned.
06:09But Koo didn't disappear.
06:11Instead, she did something no one saw coming.
06:15She went back to school,
06:17not just to pass time,
06:18but to excel.
06:20She returned to Sungkyungkwan University,
06:22where she had once dropped out
06:24and worked harder than ever.
06:26In February 2024,
06:28she graduated with a GPA of 4.27 out of 4.5.
06:32That's 97.7%.
06:35Most people would stop there.
06:37She didn't.
06:39She got into KAIST,
06:40one of South Korea's toughest universities,
06:43with an acceptance rate under 15%.
06:45Getting a master's in science journalism from there
06:49shocked even her critics.
06:51But her journey came with a price.
06:53She later admitted she had been sleeping
06:55in her car and parking lots
06:57because she had no stable place to live.
07:00The woman once seen as a pampered TV star
07:03was now a student living in her vehicle,
07:06chasing knowledge in a world
07:08that once turned its back on her.
07:10Yet even that wasn't the end.
07:13In 2021,
07:14she patented a flat-folding hair roller
07:16called the Goo Roll.
07:18It wasn't just a gimmick.
07:20It was a real invention.
07:22By mid-2025,
07:24she launched a company based on it.
07:27The same woman
07:28who had cried on Instagram years earlier
07:30was now teaming up
07:31with a KAIST chemistry professor
07:33to bring her idea to life.
07:36She became a startup founder
07:38with legal patents
07:39and a government-approved business certificate.
07:43It was a transformation
07:44nobody could have predicted.
07:47Kim Hyun-jung Kim Hyun-jung,
07:50who played the soft-spoken prince,
07:52became the center of one of Korea's
07:54most painful celebrity scandals.
07:56It began in 2014
07:58when his ex-girlfriend accused him
08:01of violent abuse.
08:03She claimed he caused injuries
08:05that needed six weeks of recovery.
08:08He admitted to one incident
08:09and settled for about $7,000.
08:12But things escalated
08:14when she claimed she was pregnant,
08:16then accused him of causing a miscarriage.
08:19Later, she retracted that part,
08:21but the damage was done.
08:24In 2015,
08:26Kim fired back
08:27with a defamation lawsuit.
08:29Meanwhile,
08:30she gave birth to a boy in September.
08:33A paternity test proved
08:34Kim was the father.
08:36Court after court
08:37revealed layers of emotional chaos
08:39and contradictory claims.
08:42In 2017,
08:43Kim won the case.
08:45The court ordered the woman
08:46to pay him $100,000,000 won.
08:48She was also given
08:50a suspended jail sentence
08:51for assault.
08:52But victory came with a price.
08:55During those years,
08:57Kim lost more than $13 million.
09:00His brand deals vanished.
09:02Concerts were canceled.
09:04Toyota,
09:05Lotta,
09:05and Misha
09:06all dropped him.
09:08His agency broke ties,
09:10saying he couldn't be trusted.
09:13While serving his military duty
09:14from 2015
09:15to 2017,
09:17he tried to escape the spotlight.
09:20But even then,
09:21stories about him
09:22kept surfacing.
09:24When he returned,
09:25he faced more problems.
09:27His former partner
09:28demanded full custody
09:29of their son
09:30and monthly payments.
09:32And in the middle of it all,
09:34Kim shocked everyone
09:35by marrying another woman
09:36in 2018.
09:39She had stood by him
09:40through everything.
09:42Within three years,
09:43he had two children
09:44with two different women.
09:47The press had a field day.
09:48His music comeback
09:49didn't help much.
09:51Albums that once sold
09:52hundreds of thousands
09:53now barely crossed 30,000.
09:57Venues shrank.
09:59Fees dropped
09:59from half a million
10:00to as low as 50,000 per show.
10:03In 2021,
10:06he was seen dining
10:07in luxury
10:07while still owing
10:08legal and child support debts.
10:11By 2022,
10:12it came out
10:13that he had moved
10:14into a smaller apartment
10:15worth $500,000,000,
10:17a big step down
10:19from his old penthouse.
10:21Hoping for a revival,
10:22he reunited
10:23with other SS501 members
10:25in 2023
10:26and formed 501.
10:29But the response
10:30wasn't what they had hoped.
10:32Ticket sales were slow.
10:34Their shows happened
10:35in small halls
10:36and fan clubs
10:37instead of big stadiums.
10:40Kim Bum Kim Bum
10:41rose to fame
10:42as the charming potter
10:43in Boys Over Flowers,
10:46stealing hearts
10:46across Asia.
10:48But behind the smile,
10:50there was something
10:51fans never saw.
10:53Even in his early 20s,
10:54Kim Bum
10:55was already dealing
10:56with a serious health issue.
10:58He had rheumatoid arthritis,
11:00a degenerative condition
11:02that ran in his family.
11:04For years,
11:05he quietly managed it
11:06with medication
11:07and exercise.
11:09But when it came time
11:10for military service
11:11in 2018,
11:13the truth finally came out.
11:15He didn't serve
11:16as a regular soldier
11:17like most actors.
11:18Instead,
11:19he was assigned
11:20to public service
11:20due to his condition.
11:23His agency confirmed
11:24that he had been
11:25receiving continuous treatment
11:26since his early 20s.
11:28That announcement
11:30shocked his fans.
11:32They had never imagined
11:33that the bright
11:34and energetic star
11:35had been silently fighting
11:37such a painful battle.
11:39After Boys Over Flowers,
11:42Kim Bum's love life
11:43became a constant topic
11:45in the media.
11:46In October 2013,
11:48he made headlines
11:49by going public
11:50with actress Moon Goon Young,
11:52his co-star
11:53from Goddess of Fire.
11:55The relationship
11:56was confirmed
11:57in November 2013
11:58and fans were thrilled.
12:00But by May 2014,
12:03just seven months later,
12:04the couple had broken up.
12:06Fans were heartbroken.
12:08Then in March 2018,
12:10only weeks before
12:11his military enlistment,
12:13Kim Bum confirmed
12:14another relationship,
12:16this time with actress
12:17Oh Yeon Seo.
12:19It felt like
12:19a final romantic chapter
12:21before his two-year break
12:22from the spotlight.
12:24But that, too,
12:25ended quickly
12:26before he even completed
12:27basic training.
12:29Two high-profile relationships,
12:31both ending suddenly,
12:33left fans wondering
12:34what was really going on
12:36behind the scenes.
12:37In the middle of all this,
12:39Kim Bum made a bold move
12:41that no one expected.
12:42In 2012,
12:44he stepped into music
12:45with a solo album
12:46titled Hometown,
12:48released on June 20th.
12:50He even held
12:51a live concert in Japan
12:52at the Stellar Ball
12:54in Tokyo's
12:55Shinagawa Prince Hotel.
12:57It wasn't just a hobby.
12:59He was serious.
13:00Fans could see
13:01that this was a real dream,
13:03not just a side project.
13:05Then came
13:06the international wave.
13:08In 2013,
13:09he played a major role
13:10in Sui Hark's
13:11Young Detective D,
13:13Rise of the Sea Dragon.
13:15The film became
13:16one of the highest-grossing
13:17Chinese releases
13:18of the year.
13:19Kim Bum was suddenly a star,
13:22not just in Korea,
13:23but across Asia.
13:25He followed that up
13:26with Chinese dramas
13:27and films like V-Love,
13:29Lovers in Movies,
13:31and The Beloved.
13:32Without warning,
13:33he had quietly become
13:34a global actor.
13:36But what's most surprising today
13:38is how silent
13:39he's been about love.
13:41As of 2025,
13:43Kim Bum is 36
13:44and completely single.
13:47Since his breakup
13:48with Ohyeon Seo in 2018,
13:51there have been
13:51no confirmed relationships.
13:54Despite being one
13:55of the most eligible
13:56bachelors in Korea,
13:57he said nothing
13:58about dating or marriage.
14:01Fans search online
14:02constantly with phrases
14:04like Kim Bum wife
14:06trending again and again.
14:08But there's never
14:09any answer.
14:10No public sightings.
14:12No rumors that stick.
14:13Just complete silence.
14:16That mystery only fuels
14:18the interest even more.
14:20Since finishing
14:21his military service,
14:22Kim Bum hasn't slowed down.
14:25He returned to the screen
14:26stronger than ever
14:27with major roles
14:28in Tale of the Nine-Tailed
14:30in 2020,
14:31Law School in 2021,
14:33and Ghost Doctor in 2022.
14:36Each project showed
14:37a different side of him,
14:39proving that he wasn't
14:40just a pretty face
14:41from a classic drama.
14:43He had range.
14:44He had staying power.
14:46Now he's set to star
14:47in the 2026 SBS drama
14:50Sold Out Again Today,
14:52where he'll play
14:52executive director
14:54C.O. Eric.
14:55Kim Joon.
14:56Kim Joon became
14:58a global heartthrob
14:59when he played
14:59Song Wubin
15:00in Boys Over Flowers.
15:02But behind the fame,
15:03he was keeping
15:04a personal secret
15:05so big
15:06that no one,
15:07not even his closest fans,
15:09saw it coming.
15:11While the world
15:12was falling
15:13for his character,
15:14Kim Joon was quietly
15:15dating someone
15:16he had known
15:17since middle school.
15:18Their relationship
15:20had already lasted
15:21nine years
15:22by the time
15:22he debuted
15:23with T-Max in 2007.
15:25And still,
15:27nobody had a clue.
15:28Then,
15:29in June 2018,
15:31he made an announcement
15:32that shocked everyone.
15:34He revealed
15:34that he had been married
15:36since 2015.
15:38His wife wasn't
15:39a fellow celebrity
15:39or a new love interest.
15:42She was the same woman
15:43he had been with
15:44all along.
15:45Somehow,
15:46during the peak
15:47of his fame,
15:48he had managed
15:49to keep
15:49the entire relationship,
15:51wedding,
15:51and even their family life
15:53completely private.
15:55But that wasn't all.
15:57In the same year,
15:58he also revealed
15:59that he had a child,
16:01a secret he had kept
16:03through years of interviews,
16:05public appearances,
16:06and media attention.
16:08That meant
16:09he had been a father
16:10for quite some time
16:11before fans
16:12even suspected
16:13he was married.
16:15In an industry
16:15known for exposing
16:17every detail,
16:18Kim Joon
16:19had pulled off
16:20something almost
16:20no other star could.
16:23He built a whole life
16:24away from the spotlight
16:25and kept it hidden.
16:27His career path
16:28also took a major turn
16:30when he enlisted
16:31for mandatory military service
16:33in September 2011.
16:35He served as a conscripted policeman
16:37and was discharged
16:38in June 2013.
16:40That break from the spotlight
16:42also marked the quiet end
16:44of TMAX's active years.
16:47After that,
16:48he stepped away
16:48from major roles
16:49and chose smaller,
16:51quieter projects.
16:53Kim So-yoon Kim So-yoon
16:55wasn't even planning
16:56to be an actress.
16:58She had trained
16:59to become a professional skier
17:01and was on the path
17:02to joining Korea's national team.
17:05But everything changed
17:06in 2003.
17:08During a junior skiing competition
17:10in Pyeongchang,
17:11the same place
17:12that would later host
17:13the Winter Olympics,
17:14she got scouted
17:15by a talent agency.
17:17That one random moment
17:19in the snow
17:20sent her into
17:21a completely new direction.
17:23She left behind
17:24a future in sports
17:25and stepped into
17:26the world of acting.
17:28Even after
17:29Boys Over Flowers
17:30made her famous,
17:31her path wasn't smooth.
17:33She switched agencies
17:34multiple times.
17:36In 2016,
17:37she signed
17:38with Will Entertainment.
17:40In 2021,
17:41she moved
17:41to Ascendio Reserve.
17:43But by 2024,
17:45fans noticed
17:45her profile
17:46had disappeared
17:47from Ascendio's website.
17:49No announcements,
17:50no explanation.
17:51She had quietly
17:52left the agency.
17:53Now she works
17:55independently.
17:56That's a rare
17:57and risky move
17:58in Korean entertainment
17:59where being without
18:00an agency
18:01can easily
18:02stall a career.
18:04Her personal life
18:04has also kept
18:05people talking.
18:07In 2014,
18:08she was paired
18:09with actor
18:09Song Jae Rim
18:11on the reality show
18:12We Got Married.
18:14Their chemistry
18:14on screen
18:15was so strong
18:16they won
18:16Best Couple
18:17at the NBC
18:18Entertainment Awards.
18:20But what really
18:21surprised everyone
18:22was how long
18:23the dating rumors
18:24lasted.
18:25Even in June 2023,
18:27nearly 10 years
18:28after the show,
18:29people were still
18:30asking if they
18:31were secretly together.
18:33Whether it was
18:33true love
18:34or just a really
18:35long-lasting rumor,
18:37the connection
18:37between them
18:38has stayed alive
18:39far longer
18:40than anyone expected.
18:42Offscreen,
18:43Kim So-yoon
18:44has also shown
18:46a side that
18:46many fans
18:47don't see.
18:48She's been active
18:49as a cultural
18:50ambassador for events
18:51like the Korea
18:52International Youth
18:54Film Festival
18:54and the
18:55Jeonju International
18:56Film Festival.
18:58In 2014,
19:00she represented
19:01the Green Film Festival
19:02and became known
19:04for supporting
19:05environmental causes.
19:07That part of her life,
19:08quiet,
19:09thoughtful,
19:10and socially active,
19:12has added depth
19:12to a career
19:13that many thought
19:14was all about
19:15playing
19:15the sweet girl
19:16next door.
19:18Park Ji-bin,
19:19Park Ji-bin's journey
19:21is one of the most
19:22surprising
19:22in Korean entertainment.
19:25Back in 2009,
19:26he was just 14
19:27when he stole hearts
19:29as John D's
19:30little brother
19:30in Boys Over Flowers.
19:33Fans saw him
19:33as the sweet,
19:34playful boy
19:35next door.
19:37Fast forward
19:37to 2025,
19:39and he's a completely
19:40different person.
19:42Now 30 years old,
19:43he's no longer
19:44just the kid brother.
19:45He's a leading man.
19:47A transformation
19:47so intense
19:49that fans now
19:50call him Appa
19:51instead of Awe.
19:53But behind this glow-up
19:54was real pain.
19:57In June 2014,
19:59his father passed away
20:00unexpectedly.
20:01It hit him hard.
20:03He had been planning
20:04to enlist in the military
20:05that year,
20:06but the tragedy
20:07changed everything.
20:08He pushed his enlistment
20:10back by nearly a year,
20:12finally joining
20:12on May 26, 2015.
20:14He served for 21 months,
20:18finishing on February 25, 2017.
20:21These were supposed to be
20:23his breakout years
20:24when other actors his age
20:26were finding their place
20:27in adult roles.
20:29But Park Jeban
20:30disappeared instead.
20:32And it wasn't just
20:33the military.
20:34He vanished from the screen
20:36for five whole years,
20:37from 2013 to 2018.
20:40Not a single drama,
20:42no guest roles,
20:44no variety shows,
20:45just silence.
20:47While his peers
20:48were growing in fame,
20:49people began to wonder
20:50if he'd quit acting for good.
20:52But during that time,
20:54something changed.
20:55When he finally returned
20:57in 2018,
20:58fans could hardly recognize him.
21:00The soft-faced boy
21:02had become
21:03a sharp-featured,
21:04mature man.
21:05And he didn't just
21:06come back with a new look.
21:08He brought a whole new energy.
21:11Instead of sweet,
21:12innocent roles,
21:13he started playing
21:14intense, dark characters.
21:17In 2024,
21:18he starred in Disney Plus'
21:20A Shop for Killers,
21:22playing a villain
21:23named Jong Min.
21:25Viewers were shocked
21:26by how well
21:27he pulled it off.
21:28One even said
21:30his villain performance
21:31was amazing.
21:32It was clear
21:33this wasn't the same
21:35Park Jeebin they remembered.
21:37Now he's pushing
21:38even further.
21:39After six years away
21:41from film,
21:42he's returned
21:42with My Name,
21:44a historical drama set
21:45during the Jeju 4.3
21:47incident of 1948.
21:50He plays Kyung Tai,
21:51a rich and intimidating
21:53transfer student
21:54from Seoul.
21:55The kind of guy
21:56everyone at school
21:57is afraid of
21:58because of how well
21:59he fights.
22:01Filming finished
22:01on April 3, 2025,
22:04and it's already
22:05being talked about
22:06as a turning point
22:06in his career.
22:08Lee Min Jung,
22:09Lee Min Jung's story
22:10didn't just unfold
22:12on screen.
22:13It became something
22:14no drama
22:15could fully capture.
22:17After appearing
22:18in Boys Over Flowers
22:19in 2009
22:20as Ha Jae Kyung,
22:22her career shot up fast.
22:24That same year,
22:25she won Best New Actress
22:27at the Korean Association
22:28of Film Critics Awards
22:30for her role
22:31in White Night.
22:32But it was the 2010
22:34film Cyrano Agency
22:36that changed everything.
22:38The romantic comedy
22:39made her a household name.
22:41She won more awards.
22:43She was everywhere.
22:45Advertisers couldn't get
22:47enough of her.
22:48Some even started
22:49calling her a goddess.
22:51But just when it looked
22:52like her life was perfect,
22:54everything cracked.
22:56In August 2013,
22:58she married Lee Byung-hun.
23:01A year later,
23:02in 2014,
23:03a scandal broke
23:04that shook
23:05the whole industry.
23:06Lee Byung-hun
23:07was secretly recorded
23:08by model Lee Ji-yeon
23:10and K-pop idol
23:12Kim Da-hee.
23:13They tried to blackmail him
23:15for nearly $5 billion,
23:17which is around
23:18$3.7 million.
23:20What made it worse
23:21was the timing.
23:24Lee Min-jung
23:25was pregnant.
23:26The betrayal
23:27hit hard.
23:29She left their home
23:30and stayed with her parents.
23:31The media was brutal.
23:33Most people thought
23:34a divorce was coming.
23:36But she didn't walk away.
23:38Instead of leaving,
23:39Lee Min-jung
23:40chose to stay.
23:42And that choice
23:43changed everything.
23:44On March 31, 2015,
23:47she gave birth
23:47to their son,
23:49Lee Jun-hoo.
23:50Years passed.
23:51Slowly,
23:52their life started
23:53to settle again.
23:55Eight years after their son,
23:56in December 2023,
23:58they had a daughter.
24:00That gap set a lot.
24:01It wasn't just time.
24:03It was rebuilding.
24:04Trust doesn't come back fast.
24:06But somehow,
24:08they made it through.
24:09Then came the comeback
24:11no one saw coming.
24:13After her drama
24:15once again ended in 2020,
24:17Lee Min-jung disappeared
24:19from the screen.
24:20She stepped back
24:21for five years.
24:23Then,
24:23in March 2025,
24:25she returned in a way
24:26that surprised everyone.
24:27she launched her own YouTube channel.
24:31She joked that she finally learned
24:32how to ask people
24:33to like,
24:34comment,
24:35and subscribe,
24:36thanks to Mensa member
24:37Kim Ji-seok.
24:39But she didn't stop there.
24:41In May 2025,
24:43her first ever variety show aired.
24:45It was called Heart on Wheels.
24:48It wasn't just another program.
24:51It carried her name.
24:52After 27 years in the industry,
24:54this was a first.
24:56In the show,
24:57she visits rural villages
24:58in a moving convenience store.
25:01Her husband,
25:02Lee Byung-hun,
25:03narrated the show
25:04in the same tone
25:05as his character
25:06from Our Blues.
25:07Hanun Jae-yong
25:09Han Jae-yong
25:10became a star
25:11in 2009
25:12after playing
25:13Min Seo-hyun
25:14in Boys Over Flowers.
25:17At 29,
25:18she was already
25:19at the peak
25:19of her career.
25:21Fans expected
25:22more K-dramas
25:23and red carpet moments.
25:24But what followed
25:25was not
25:26what anyone saw coming.
25:28Over the next 16 years,
25:30her life turned
25:31into something
25:31more complex
25:32and controversial
25:33than any drama
25:35she had ever acted in.
25:37In 2012,
25:38she shocked
25:39her Korean fans
25:40by announcing
25:41that she was stepping away
25:42from Korean entertainment.
25:44She had signed
25:45an exclusive deal
25:46with a Chinese company,
25:48Hawaii Brothers,
25:49worth around
25:5015 billion won
25:51or 12 million US dollars.
25:55At the time,
25:56it was one of the biggest deals
25:57ever made
25:58by a Korean actress.
26:00To many in Korea,
26:02it felt like
26:02she had turned
26:03her back on them.
26:04But for Han Jae-yong,
26:06it was just
26:07the beginning
26:08of a new chapter.
26:09By 2015,
26:11people started noticing
26:12that she wasn't
26:13just acting anymore.
26:15Reports came out
26:16that she had quietly
26:17become a serious
26:18real estate investor.
26:21She had bought properties
26:22in Seoul's Gangnam district,
26:24Shanghai,
26:25and even Los Angeles.
26:27The total value
26:28was over 50 billion won.
26:31That's more than
26:3240 million US dollars.
26:34Most people had no idea
26:36she was using
26:37her Chinese earnings
26:38to build a property empire.
26:41She wasn't just
26:42an actress anymore.
26:44She had quietly become
26:45one of the richest
26:46former K-drama stars.
26:49Then, in 2018,
26:51the rumors got even louder.
26:54Photos were published
26:55of her spending time
26:56with a Chinese tech billionaire
26:57named Li Wei Chen.
27:00People started wondering
27:02if their relationship
27:03was more than
27:03just friendly.
27:05Some noticed
27:06that every time
27:07Li made a new business move,
27:09she bought new properties
27:10soon after.
27:12They never confirmed anything,
27:14but the timing
27:15raised eyebrows.
27:16The story became bigger
27:18than just romance.
27:20It made people question
27:21whether her personal life
27:22was guiding
27:23her financial decisions.
27:25Things took a darker turn
27:26in 2023.
27:28Korean tax officials
27:29opened an investigation
27:31and claimed she had
27:32underreported
27:33her Chinese income
27:34by $8 billion won.
27:37That's around
27:38$6 million US dollars.
27:40It became
27:41front-page news.
27:43Even though
27:44the issue was settled,
27:45the damage to her reputation
27:47was already done.
27:48For years,
27:49she had built an image
27:51of elegance
27:52and success.
27:53Now,
27:54people were asking
27:55if it was all
27:56just a carefully
27:57managed illusion.
27:59In 2025,
28:00she returned
28:01to the spotlight
28:01with a film called
28:02The Devil You Know.
28:04But this wasn't
28:05just a comeback.
28:07It looked more
28:07like a strategy,
28:09a way to clean up
28:10the past
28:10and reconnect
28:11with the audience
28:12she once left behind.
28:14Whether it will work
28:15is still uncertain.
28:17But one thing is clear.
28:19Han Cha-young's story
28:20is no longer
28:21just about fame.
28:23It's about risk,
28:24reinvention,
28:25and how quickly
28:26a career can become
28:27something else entirely.
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