Actresses rush to return to screen after giving birth
Jun Ji-hyun in a fashioin brand Michaa commercial / Courtesy of HNS HQ
By Park Jin-hai
Jun Ji-hyun, heroine of the megahit drama “My Love from the Star,” returns to the small screen in the SBS fantasy romance drama “Legend of the Blue Sea” this month, just nine months after giving birth to a son in February.
Jun’s return, made headlines as much as the big budget drama itself, because of her sleek and glamorous look in a formfitting mermaid costume.
In fact, she resumed work by shooting commercials in perfect shape three months after she gave birth.
“Right after she gave birth, she started rigorous training to stay fit, preparing for her return,” said an insider close to the actress.
Given the fierce competition in the entertainment business, actresses tend to return to their jobs as early as possible so as not to lag behind.
“Many actresses return between three and six months, which is much faster than in the past,” the insider said.
So Yu-jin in“ Happy Together”in February / Courtesy of KBS
Park Jin-hee, who plays the title role in the on-going KBS drama “Oh My Geumbi,” says it has become a new trend among actresses. “Now that actresses who are mothers appear sleek and slim on the screen after a short break, this has become a new industry norm,” Park said in an interview with local media.
Park also attributed motherhood to her becoming a more mature actress. “I wonder if it would have been possible to have a bigger understanding of life if I didn’t have a child,” she said.
Han Ga-in / Korea Times file
So Yu-jin joined the KBS weekend family drama “Five Children” just five months after giving birth to her second child. She gained positive reviews playing a role as a mom with five children from a second marriage.
Actress So E-hyun has been active since returning from a six month-hiatus, taking a lead role in the KBS drama “Secret of Women.”
Lee Min-jung and Lee Yo-won also successfully returned to the small screen. More actresses with children will return to their jobs soon.
Actress Nam Sang-mi, who has a one-year-old girl, is reportedly screening her next project, while Kim Jung-hwa, who gave a birth to a child in July has been rushing to look for her next project.
Meanwhile, Han Ga-in, who starred in the megahit drama “Moon Embracing the Sun,” with Kim Soo-hyun in 2012, announced last week that she has become the official model for a cosmetics line. Han tied the knot with actor Yeon Jung-hoon in 2005 and gave birth to a girl in April.