Former Korean actress Kim Se-in has taken on various jobs to support herself since stepping away from the entertainment industry 13 years ago.
The 43-year-old now works part-time at a warehouse and as a food delivery driver, while also caring for 15 rescued animals – including abandoned dogs, as well as rabbits and chickens.
Speaking about her current living situation on a television programme, Kim said: “I have to earn every penny I can. I occasionally film commercials, dramas and movies, but I still need to keep working to support my big family.”
Kim, who grew up in a wealthy household, initially lived a comfortable life.
However, her family fell into financial hardship during the 1997 Asian financial crisis and was eventually forced to live in a cramped space without a bathroom.
Determined to help her family, Kim entered the entertainment industry and made her acting debut in the 2004 film Same Bed, Different Dreams.
She later gained attention for her role in the 2011 sitcom Oh My God before making the sudden decision to quit showbiz in 2013.
On her decision to leave, Kim revealed that she faced intense pressure from her former agency.
“The agency head would drag me to nightclubs and constantly harass me,” she said, as per Korean entertainment news portal Koreaboo.
She added that she pushed herself to accept roles involving nudity because she was desperate to earn money and help ease her family’s financial burden.
“At the time, we needed tens of millions of won, and my family was in such a difficult situation that I felt the need to bear the responsibility,” she said.
Kim revealed that her father died of a heart attack two years ago.
Meanwhile, her mother has remained in a coma for 15 years after suffering a subarachnoid hemorrhage – a type of bleeding that occurs in the space between the brain and the tissues covering it.
“I want to keep taking good care of this big family and do my best so I can remain responsible for them until the very end,” she said, as quoted by The Korea Times.
