Seo Yea Ji makes long-awaited return to variety show amid Kim Soo Hyun controversy, talks about her complex roles

South Korean actress Seo Yea Ji has finally spoken out for the first time since the 2021 gaslighting controversy, which significantly affected her career. During her first variety show appearance in years, she opened up about her career and personal life, indirectly addressing the allegations of mistreating her staff.

Seo's comments come just days after she was once again dragged into controversy involving Kim Soo Hyun. For those unfamiliar with the situation, the actress, who was previously signed under Gold Medalist, sparked romance rumors with the actor after they starred together in the 2020 K-drama It's Okay to Not Be Okay.

Seo Yea Ji makes her Variety Show return after eight years

Seo Yea Ji made a guest appearance on TV CHOSUN's Gourmet Huh Young-man's Table Tour on March 30, where she went on an outing in Wonju, Gangwon Province. This marks her return to variety shows after an eight-year hiatus. She was last seen on JTBC's Knowing Bros in 2017.

Yeongman: Do you eat two or three meals a day?
Yeaji: I eat four meals a day
Yeongman: Four meals a day?
Yeaji: I went to bed late so I was hungry even in the middle of the night

She's so relatable, food is life ?. Stay healthy, glowing and happy baby ?

#SeoYeaJi #??? pic.twitter.com/SWmUvsK0Ww

¡ª nicoley? (@sincethesky) March 30, 2025

'I have many scars': Seo Yea Ji on her dark roles

During her appearance, she went candid about various aspects of her acting career, revealing her debut was by a chance encounter with renowned sitcom director Kim Byung Wook, who extended an offer to her, leading to her debut in the sitcom Potato Star 2013QR3.

With 12 years of experience and 22 projects under her belt, the 34-year-old reflected on her dark roles, noting that she plays revenge-driven roles as a way to cope with her own emotional scars. However, she admitted that taking on malicious characters has sometimes led to people mistaking her on-screen persona for her real-life personality. "There were a few stress-inducing aspects. When I played malicious roles, people's perceptions that I was like that in reality were a bit difficult for me. Meeting people became challenging," she said.

Seo Yea Ji in It's Okay to Not Be Okay| Credit: X

When asked by Huh Young Man if she's ever felt frustrated with acting, the actress confessed that it's happened "many times". She tried to accept and move forward but found that keeping quiet about her struggles led to greater misunderstandings and eventually became a significant source of stress.

Seo Yea Ji's gaslighting controversy

Seo Yea Ji faced intense backlash in 2021 following allegations of gaslighting against her former boyfriend Kim Jung Hyun, which led to a flurry of other rumours, including claims of academic credential forgery, school violence, and staff mistreatment.

The Save Me actress vehemently denied these allegations, asserting that there was no truth to the claims of school violence, gaslighting, and staff mistreatment. Despite her denials, the controversy led to a significant setback in her career, prompting her to take a two-year hiatus.

Seo Yea Ji on the Kim Soo Hyun controversy

Seo Yea Ji expressed her frustration on her fan caf¨¦ after being linked to the scandal surrounding Kim Soo Hyun, his cousin Lee Sa Rang, and GOLD MEDALIST.

Seo Yea Ji and Kim Soo Hyun| Credit: X

In a late-night post on March 13, 2025, Seo Yea Ji admitted to deleting a response she made to a hateful comment. When asked by a fan about the rumours of her dating Kim Soo Hyun, she simply stated, "I wish people would... please... stop."

Addressing her fan cafe, she noted, I'm only human¡­ So this has been overwhelming, stressful¡­ And I¡¯m so sick and tired of it all. It saddens me and suffocates me¡­ I¡¯ve been holding back and back¡­ But I ended up responding to this comment. I deleted it, though.

I wish people would¡­ please¡­ stop. I am in no way affiliated with him and his cousin. I don¡¯t even know why I have to explain myself¡­ But I¡¯m just extra frustrated tonight¡­ Good night, yeyes."

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