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Kim Tae Hee shares stories on tvN's Yoo Quiz on the Block.
One of South Korea’s most beloved and respected actresses, admired not only for her looks but also for her intelligence and versatile acting skills, Kim Tae Hee is a name hard to miss. Among the few in the industry to have attended Seoul National University, one of Korea’s most prestigious universities, she has a reputation as a beauty with brains.
When asked about how she has changed since her twenties, the time when she started acting, Kim Tae Hee said, "My basic lifestyle has changed so much. I have a family to take care of, and there are so many more things to do." She explained that she stays highly vigilant at home and only relaxes when she's on set.
Talking about her marriage with Jung Ji Hoon, aka Rain, Kim Tae Hee recalled the commercial shoot where she first met him. At the time, she acknowledged that Rain was a popular singer and actor, but revealed that it wasn't love at first sight. She stated, "It wasn't love at first sight for either of us. For love at first sight, isn't there supposed to be that instant 'zing'? That wasn't the case. However, that kind of moment came much later."
She continued, "My husband gave me gifts that didn’t feel burdensome. Like a scented candle or an MP3 with songs on it. One day, he gave me a novel. I received it, set it aside for a while, and then on a day when I was troubled and had a lot on my mind, I looked at the book. On the front page, there was a letter written. It wasn't much, but it made me burst out laughing. That became the point that disarmed me."
"Before that, I would only respond to his messages and never contacted him first. I thought that since I didn't have feelings for him, I shouldn't leave room for misunderstanding. But after seeing that (letter), I texted him for the very first time."
Yoo Jae Suk asked, "Rain is doing well, I hope?" Kim Tae Hee replied, "Yes. Actually, today was another special day when I had to leave early for work, so he took care of the kids' breakfast. It was an absolute warzone right up until I left to come here. From the morning, there was so much to prepare — supplies, homework, and all that. I had actually ordered the stuff three days ago, right after getting back from New York. But then I got a text saying the delivery would be delayed by 1 to 3 days. I was so frustrated this morning that I told my husband, 'You have to buy this and get it to the school.' In the end, he managed to get it at a place called Dongmyo." "He also sent me a text, encouraging me, telling me to do well. He had a schedule today, so I was worried about how the kids would get to school, but fortunately, his schedule was canceled, so I was able to leave with peace of mind." Further, "My husband was very supportive when I was considering going to New York [for the drama Butterfly]."
Talking about parenting, Kim Tae Hee said, "I'm the type to grind myself down completely to raise a child, so it was extremely difficult. Raising a child is harder than giving birth, so I believed a second child would be impossible. But then I had a second one, and I essentially took a break (from my career) for almost five years." "Now that the children are a bit older, it's become a little easy, but I had a lot of parenting stress. I think I was terrible towards my mother when I was going through the most emotionally difficult times."
Kim Tae Hee revealed that while parenting, she experienced adolescence belatedly in her forties. "My mother is truly devoted. She raised us that way and is also working incredibly hard to help raise my children. Because my mother's standards are so strict, I experienced puberty I never had in my school days — it came in my forties. I found myself wanting to rebel against my mother, and everything she said sounded like nagging."
Kim also shared a light-hearted story from her university days: "This is something you really shouldn't do, but when you're in college, you know what they call proxy attendance? We did that sort of thing too, back in my day. These days, systems are so strict that you could probably get caught if you tried. I asked a friend to do it for me, and when the professor called 'Kim Tae Hee,' my friend raised her hand and answered. She told me it was so embarrassing."
Jo Se Ho nodded, saying, "Anyone could tell it wasn’t you," and Kim Tae Hee explained, "People were murmuring, saying, 'Is that really Kim Tae Hee?' and it caused quite a fuss."
Yoo Jae Suk also tapped into Kim Tae Hee’s educational background as a Seoul National University graduate. "There aren't many Seoul National University graduates in the entertainment industry. I heard you were at the top of your class and got perfect scores in all subjects throughout three years of middle school." Kim Tae Hee responded, "I wonder if there might have been a mistake on the report card. Wouldn't it be difficult to get perfect scores in every subject?"
She added, "I really liked sports. My elementary school record for the 100-meter dash was 15 seconds. My nickname during my school days was 'dozer'. I was such a night owl that I would doze off a lot in school. I gradually became normal by the time school ended."
Yoo Jae Suk asked, "You must have been popular during your school days. Did you focus solely on your studies like a racehorse?" Kim Tae Hee replied, "I'm the type of person who can't do two things at once; I have to block out all distractions to focus. Because of that, I was genuinely unaware," adding, "I lived without knowing that there were male students who had crushes on me." "I hardly ever received any letters myself. Instead, my younger brother received them, but he never passed them on to me. He acted like a bodyguard, always protecting me."
Recalling a scary experience she had, Kim shared, "It was during high school when I was walking home after my academy class around 10 p.m. I stood to take the elevator and felt like someone was coming up behind me. I glanced sideways and saw it was a man. I thought it would be fine and got on, but he turned out to be trouble. When we finally reached my floor, he suddenly lunged at me."
"I screamed and pressed the doorbell, and my younger brother immediately rushed out. The pervert ran toward the stairs and got chased. It was scary and terrifying."
The actress also shared her thoughts on her looks, stating, "I was most satisfied with my looks when I was in my thirties. I suppose there’ll be more and more things that I'll unhappy with as I age. But I guess I have to accept it. And I hope the wrinkles I've gained from smiling a lot are viewed positively and seen as beautiful."
