Fin.K.L’s Ock Joo-hyun reflects on career, addresses marriage hesitation
Singer and musical actor Ock Joo-hyun / Courtesy of Channel A
Singer and musical actor Ock Joo-hyun, formerly of first-generation girl group Fin.K.L, has opened up about longstanding misconceptions that she is opposed to marriage.
Ock appeared on the Sept. 8 broadcast of a Channel A variety show where she welcomes singer Tei and musical actress Lee Ji-hye as guests for a home-cooked meal.
Debuting in 1998 with Fin.K.L, Ock rose to stardom in the late 1990s and transitioned to a career in musicals in 2005. She shared stories from her 27 years in the industry, including behind-the-scenes episodes from her Fin.K.L days.
Ock also revealed how she once felt about her Fin.K.L identity: “When I debuted in musicals, I wished people would forget I was Ock Joo-hyun from Fin.K.L. But I’ve realized Fin.K.L is inseparable from my life.”
She said that the group’s ongoing project of remaking its hit songs is meant as a gesture of gratitude to fans who have supported them.
She added that the project has reminded her of her roots as a singer, sharing that Lee Hyo-ri featured in the recording of “Feel Your Love” in August, and that the group’s winter release will be “White.”
Among her bandmates, Ock remains the only unmarried member. She said, “After losing my father when I was young, I had to take on the role of provider and husband to my mother. That made me hesitant to think about marriage.” Asked about her ideal type, she named actress Cho Yeo-jeong, explaining, “I admire someone I can learn from and rely on.”
For Ock, fans have been a constant source of strength throughout her career. She calls their letters her “meal companions” because she reads them at every meal. She also grew emotional recounting the story of a fan who, after disclosing a cancer battle, attended her performances regularly and gradually recovered.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.